Caribbean nation Vieques alternative (?)
Caribbean nation may offer US Vieques alternative
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts and Nevis, March 21 (Reuters) – The Caribbean island
nation of St. Kitts and Nevis said on Wednesday it was considering a request
from members of the U.S. Congress to provide an alternative for the U.S.
military to the disputed Vieques bombing range in Puerto Rico.
Prime Minister Denzil Douglas told a local radio station that the request to
consider establishing a U.S. military base in the former British colony was
made during a meeting with members of Congress in Washington D.C. earlier
this month.
Douglas said his country of 40,000 people was considering the idea, but would
want more information on a range of issues — such as why the people of
Puerto Rico were against the bombing range in Vieques and what the benefits
of such a base might be — before going ahead with further discussions.
The economy of St. Kitts and Nevis, a twin-island country which gained
independence in 1983, is based on tourism, light manufacturing and sugar
production.
News of St. Kitts as a possible alternative to Vieques — whose use by the U.S. Navy as a bombing range has been the subject of a two-year dispute between the United States and Puerto Rico — also surfaced in Washington.
Pennsylvania Rep. Curt Weldon, wrote to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in
a letter released on Wednesday to encourage him to consider a greater
military presence in St. Kitts.
“This may prove to be a resolution to our impending training crisis due to
the probable future loss of Vieques,” wrote Weldon, Republican chairman of
the Armed Services Committee’s military readiness panel, after he and
Democratic Rep. Solomon Ortiz of Texas met with Douglas earlier this month.
BATTLE OVER VIEQUES
Puerto Rico Gov. Sila Calderon has strongly opposed continued training on
Vieques and has vowed to arrange a permanent halt.
Rumsfeld said earlier this month that the Navy would not use the Vieques bombing range pending talks between the administration and the U.S. territory’s government.
The Navy, which has used Vieques as a bombing range for 60 years, postponed
training once before, immediately after the April 1999 death of a security guard during a botched bombing run on Vieques.
His death unleashed pent-up local resentment against the Navy and sparked a drive across the territory for the Navy to leave the small island town off Puerto Rico’s east coast.
Douglas said in his remarks to the Voice of Nevis radio station that the approach from the U.S. Congressmen showed “there must be some measure of confidence that the U.S. Congressmen see in us.”
But he added that he had made clear his country would want to know why the
Puerto Ricans opposed the use of Vieques, what sort of military training was
carried out there and what the potential health and environmental hazards might be.
WHAT BENEFITS FOR ST. KITTS?
Douglas said the base issue “could only be discussed after it was fully
ventilated with our own people, especially the political implications, the social and the economic implications for our people.”
St. Kitts would also want to know what the economic, social and financial
benefits for the country would be, he said in remarks issued as a news
release later by his office.
Weldon said in his letter that Douglas “sought our counsel on how his country
could improve relations with the United States and possibly offer greater
cooperation with the U.S. military.”
Douglas expressed “sincere interest” in pursuing the possibility of a
substantial U.S. military presence, he said.
The Navy, which owns two-thirds of Vieques, has said its geography is perfect for air, sea and land maneuvers.
Weldon said in his letter that St. Kitts lies “in a strategic Caribbean location. It is virtually in the same longitude and latitude as Vieques. Clearly this strategic location would be helpful in establishing a new military presence.”
Weldon indicated that a military presence in St. Kitts also could help the United States fight regional drug trafficking. Douglas said St. Kitts was keen to enhance its relationship with the United States in the area of anti-drugs efforts.
Esta informaciÛn es cortesia de:
Comite de Nueva York
Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño
(212) 330-8258
NYS Assembly Vieques Resolution
Recibido del Compañero José Rossy en Albany Nueva York:
New York State Assembly Unanimously Supports Vieques
On Monday March 26 the Assembly of the State of New York approved a resolution decrying the economic stagnation of Vieques and attributing it to Navy activities on that Puerto Rican Island Municipality. The resolution notes that “the limitations that the navy’s activities impose on the daily
lives of the islanders are overwhelming: the threats to their lives and safety generate an atmosphere of anxiety and a climate of uncertainty regarding the possibilities for progress and well-being.” It adds “This structure of landholding and use is one of the main factors contributing to the economic stagnation of Vieques, where 70 percent of the population lives below the poverty level.” It concludes that Vieques faces urgent environmental, economic, social, health infrastructrual, and transportation problems associated with the Navy’s use of the land, and that “While there are many powerful reasons for ceasing military activities on Vieques, the most fundamental motivation lies in the damage such activities cause to the health of the children, youth, and adults of Vieques.” The resolution urges
the New York State Congressional Delegation to “seek the immediate and
permanent cessation of all United States Navy military activities on the island of Vieques.”
The resolution, introduced by
Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo (D-Bronx), was approved unanimously. Assemblywoman Arroyo, as well as many Assembly members: Latinos, African-American and Whites, spoke eloquently in support of the resolution. During a recess members of Albany for Vieques met with Assemblywoman Arroyo and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. The Speaker and the Assemblywoman agreed to present the Resolution at a Press Conference in
the Speaker’s NYC Office on Friday March 29 at 12:00 Noon. The Speaker’s
Office is located at 250 Broadway, 22ndFloor in Manhattan. Supporters of the people of Vieques are encouraged to attend this Press Conference, to notify
their contacts with local media, and to join the NYS Assembly en urging your
Congressional representatives to take note of this resolution.
VIEQUES: BOMBS HAVE KILLED MANY CIVILIANS
VIEQUES: BOMBS HAVE KILLED MANY CIVILIANS (by Ivan Ramos Soler)
VIEQUES: BOMBS HAVE KILLED MANY CIVILIANS
Ivan Ramos Soler
The U.S. Navy claims that the accident on April 19, 1999, which killed a civilian in Vieques, is the only casualty that it has caused on the Island. In making this statement, the Navy is, once again, covering up the truth about its dangerous activities in Vieques.
For example, the Navy is concealing the tragic accident in which four boys
stepped on a bomb that was carelessly left in Vieques after a military
drill in 1952. The details of this accident are narrated in full herein as seen through the eyes of several children caught in the explosion. In
investigating these boysí tragedy, it has also been discovered that several other similar accidents have occurred in Vieques. Unfortunately, very little has been done to uncover the circumstances surrounding some of these other casualties.
The accident, suffered by Jesus “Chuito” Legrand, Frank Santiago, Miguel
“MiguelÌn” Legrand and Luis “Campeche” Campos EncarnaciÛn, after stepping on
a mortar bomb, left a strong mark in the minds of many other children who lived in Vieques at the time. Many of those children are now influential community leaders and activists who oppose the Navy presence on the Island.
The accident occurred when a group of four boys were playing near a small dairy farm owned by Pedro Felix, in an area in Vieques formerly known as Bastimento. There was another group of three older boys, who were also in the area of the accident but were not injured. Carlos ZenÛn, who is now one of the leaders of the movement to oust the Navy from Vieques, was one of these older boys who was in the vicinity of the accident.
Witnesses recall that they heard a loud explosion coming from the Bastimento area. Most assumed that the explosion was part of a military drill because, even though no maneuvers were supposed to take place that day, it is common for the Navy to conduct exercises without warning the civilian population. Several minutes after the explosion, Zenon heard wailing sounds and cries coming from a bushy area nearby. He advanced, with his brother Julio and another boy named Jose Vidal Lucas, towards the area were the sounds were coming from. He found the four younger boys, Frank, Miguelin, Campeche and Chuito, lying on the ground, covered with blood. Apparently one of the four boys had stepped on an explosive left on the ground by the Navy, setting it off.
Zenon recalls that he saw the body of Chuito Legrand lying face down on the ground, shivering and swinging its arms. He approached the body of the boy and flipped it face-up, in order to be able to see his face. When he turned the body around, Chuito’s skull opened, dripping blood and, spilling its encephalic matter on the ground. Although Chuito’s body was still moving at the time, Zenon knew immediately that his friend would not
survive the explosion.
Chuito was a vivacious seventh grader who always played around Vieques with his shirt off, as if he were enjoying his last days in a tropical Eden. “His skin was really tanned, like copper”, recalls Angel “Tato” Guadalupe, another well known Vieques activist, “and his eyes were impressive, because they were green or hazel, and made a nice contrast with his skin color.”
The three other boys involved in the explosion suffered serious injuries also. Frank, MiguelÌn and Campeche were strewn across the field, bleeding profusely. ZenÛn ran to a dirt road nearby, and signaled a Navy jeep to stop. ìI didn’t know English, but when the sailors saw my hands covered with blood they knew that it was serious. The Navy men followed me to the place were the boys were lying on the ground. They immediately radioed
for help and several rescue helicopters were flown in from the Roosevelt Roads
Naval Base in Ceibaî, recalls Zenon who was one of the oldest boys in the group.
The day after the explosion, life, in the otherwise quiet Island, came to a stand still. The men from Roosevelt Roads confirmed what many, already suspected: Chuito was dead. “I will never forget that day. I was about nine years old. When the news came in, I was on the baseball field playing short stop”, recalls Ismael Guadalupe, a fiery Vieques leader who has lead numerous civil disobedience campaigns to stop the bombing of the Island.
“I even remember the clothes that I was wearing that day. It was a white
shirt that was too big for me. Undoubtedly, the explosion that killed Chuito has played an important role in my development as an activist.”
The other three boys caught in the explosion were maimed for the rest of
their lives. Miguelin, Chuito’s brother, suffered permanent injuries in one of his arms. Several bomb fragments were lodged inside Frank’s body, causing pain and discomfort throughout his adult life. Campeche was paralyzed for many months and had difficulty walking many years after the bomb smashed his legs.
Although Chuitoís death moved the people in Vieques, his story did not receive much attention from the news media in Puerto Rico. Political repression was widespread in those days and many were going to jail for openly criticizing the United States dominion over Puerto Rico. For example, Puerto Ricoís National Poet, Francisco Matos Paoli was imprisoned
in 1951 solely because he uttered “four subversive speeches”.
Due to this atmosphere of political persecution, the people of Puerto Rico were not fully aware of the large number of casualties caused by the Navy in
Vieques. A careful review of the history of Vieques shows that Chuito’s death was not an isolated incident and that many similar tragedies have gone unreported.
In the early 1940ís, Anastasio Acosta and his son Domingo were killed when the hoof of the horse that they were riding struck and detonated an explosive. In the 1960ís, a stray bullet fired by a sailor during target practice killed Elena Holiday. In addition, hand grenades left over by military men have caused several accidents on the Island. In the early
1970ís, a young girl lost several fingers when a group of children, who were
playing on the beach, accidentally detonated a rusty hand grenade.
Similar accidents also occurred on the neighboring Puerto Rican Island of Culebra, where the Navy conducted military training until 1975. In 1940 a
child died in Culebra from a grenade explosion. In another similar accident, Alberto Peña Garcia, a fifteen-year-old child, died when a grenade exploded in his hands. Issac Espinosa lost an arm, also as a result of a grenade in 1914. In 1940, Vicente Romero lost an arm in a similar incident.
In 1964, Sixto Colon lost his right eye from the explosion of a weapon abandoned by the Navy. Moreover, a bomb that was mistakenly dropped at the observation point in Culebra killed nine Navy officers in April of 1946.
Unexploded ordnance and, stray bombs and bullets were a serious problem in Vieques throughout the 1990’s and are still a problem today. After the fatal accident in April of 1999, journalists from all over the world photographed hundreds of unexploded bombs scattered all over the Island evidencing the Navy’s continuous disregard for the safety of children
like Chuito. Stray bullets have also been a problem in recent years. On one
occasion, several stray bullets hit motor vehicles from the Department of Public Works in Vieques. Fortunately, no one was injured in this incident.
Not all the victims of the Navy have died directly from bombs and bullets like Chuito. Many have died by the criminal acts of drunken sailors and authoritarian Navy officers. The people in Vieques still remember when an elderly man named Mapepe Christian was brutally killed by a gang of drunken sailors. They also remember the murder of Urbano Rosario and the fatal shooting of a twelve year old boy named Esteban Correa, who was killed by a Navy officer right in front of the gate to Camp Garcia.
Toxic materials present in the Navy’s bombs and weapons have caused the cancer rate in Vieques to skyrocket. Due to the use of toxic substances by the Navy such as napalm, uranium, chromium, mercury, lead and cadmium, the people of Vieques suffer from a cancer rate that is 27 percent higher than the rest of Puerto Rico. These persons who are dying of cancer in Vieques are, like Chuito and his friends, victims of the Navy’s military practices.
Therefore, it is disingenuous for the Navy to claim that there has only been one casualty in the sixty-year history of its bombing range. To date only some casualties, such as the one suffered by Chuito and his friends, have been documented. Many others are currently being investigated with the hope that the findings of such investigations will expose to the world what the people of Puerto Rico already know: the suffering of the people of Vieques and the arrogance and moral turpitude of their military oppressors.
The author is a member of Todo Connecticut con Vieques he can be reached
RE: RE: Viequenses paralize ATSDR proceedings
Where do you live? Obviously, not in PR. Would you like the idea of having your home land constantly bombed? Or, even worst: would you like to see your own family, your grandmother, your brother, die of cancer?
Vieques has served as a military target for 60 years. Many inocent CIVIL children, women and men have died of numerous diseases related to the marines military practices. Would you be willing to change places with Vieques and accept the marines to bomb your home land? I think not!
Yet Vieques accepted this tragic fate for 60 years and you have the audacity to ask why!
You ask who will benefit by the “navy” leaving. First I remember you it is not the navy but the Marines who make us slaves of illness. And to answer your question, every puertorrican, but specially, every viequense will benefit from there departure. They will have a lot of work to do on rebuilding what the marines destroyed and on medicating all the ill people that will continue to appear for years to come, but they will be free!
Just like you! Right Freedom?
Gobernador Pataki de Nueva York viaja a Vieques
SCROLL DOWN FOR ENGLISH
El Gobernador del estado de Nueva York, el republicano, George Pataki, anuncio sus planes de viajar a Vieques a principios de abril. Llegara a Puerto Rico para dialogar con la Gobernadora CalderÛn y viajar· a Vieques para conocer de cerca la situacion del pueblo. Durante conferencia de prensa en el Centro Cultural Julia de Burgos en el Barrio Latino de Nueva York, Pataki declaro que “estamos contentos con la suspension del
bombardeo en el mes de marzo que ordeno el Presidente Bush, pero queremos el cese inmediato del bombardeo, no en tres años; que se vaya la Marina de Vieques ahora.”
El anuncio de la visita del Gobernador de Nueva York responde a la aprobacion un·nime en la Legislatura del Estado el 26 de marzo de una resolucion en apoyo al “cese inmediato y permanente de toda actividad militar estadounidense en la Isla de Vieques.”
Nilda Medina, portavoz del Comite Pro Rescate y Desarrollo de Vieques, comento que “la visita de Pataki se suma a las visitas de otros prominentes figuras de la vida p·blica que apoyan la salida de la Marina de Vieques.” Añadio que la visita de Pataki toma una importancia mayor por ser el un poderoso miembro del Partido Republicano y un allegado al
Presidente George Bush.
El asambleista estatal JosÈ Rivera menciono que Pataki se comprometio a
pedirle al Presidente una reunion con lideres puertorriqueÒos y viequenses
de la lucha contra la presencia militar.
Contacto: Robert Rabin 375-0525
—
ENGLISH VERSION
Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques
The Governor of New York, republican George Pataki, announced his plan to
travel to Vieques early in April. He will arrive in Puerto Rico to speak with Governor Calderon and will travel to Vieques to learn about the situation on the island municipality. During a press conference at the Julia de Burgos Cultural Center in the Latin Barrio of New York, Pataki stated that “we are happy with the Presidente’s suspension of bombing in March, but we want the immediate and permanent cessation of bombing, not in three years; we want the Navy to leave Vieques now.”
The announcement of the visit by New York’s governor responds to the
unanimous approval by the State Legislature on the 26th of March of a
resolution calling for the “immediate and permanent cessation of all activity by the US military on the Island of Vieques.”
Nilda Medina, spokeswoman for the Committee for the Rescue and Development
of Vieques, commented that “the visit by Pataki adds to a list of other prominent figures of public life that support the movement to get the Navy out of Vieques.” She added that Pataki’s visit takes on added importance since he is a powerful member of the Republican Party and is close to President George Bush.
State Assemblyman JosÈ Rivera mentioned that Pataki made a commitment to ask the President to meet with Puerto Rican and Viequense leaders of the struggle against the militar presence on Vieques.
Contact: Robert Rabin 375-0525
Pataki’s bold moves shall be rewarded!
As if American elections weren’t getting complex enough, New York Governor Pataki has set out to right a tremendous wrong–the invisibility of the Vieques issue among Americans generally. Going further, the general invisibility of Latinos–period.
I find him extraordinary and would like to suggest a topic for discussion. If the Republican Party took on Latino issues and attempted to address them, should Latinos, who currently are overwhelmingly Democrats, change parties? It may very well be a ploy on Pataki and Bush’s part to win the Latino vote, but hey whose complaining! I think Pataki is making bold moves and, if anything, I’m asking what is the stateside Puerto Rican leadership’s position on this?
Vieques: One for all and all for one!
To All Vieques Supporters:
You should know that Felipe Luciano found it necessary to order one of our members to put down his US Navy Out of Vieques poster at the recent picket at La Mega last week. It seems, according to Felipe, Panama and Gillian (significant organizers of the picket) that the struggle for Vieques must be kept separate and apart from the local musicians’ struggle for play at La Mega.
Meanwhile: Tito Trinidad brought Vieques to the ring in his world championship match against LaHoya, Ruben Blade always brings Vieques to Broadway, Ricky Martin brought Virques to the President, Benicio Del Toro can bring Vieques to the Oscars
You should know that the former leader of the Young Lords is running for City Coucil out of El Barrio. I gues the musicians will be playing and voting for him!!!
Gloria E. Quinones
===============
Gloria Quiñones should be commended for taking the initiative in raising this
issue. What she is mentioning regarding events at the “La Mega” protest
should not be surprising.
At the present time the most dangerous tendency in the Vieques struggle, is
to separate it from other areas of our peoples’ oppression. It should also
notbe surprising how some of these former leaders of the Young Lords were ready, willing & able to repress anyone making the political connections between Vieques and the overall attacks on Puerto Rican/Latin@ culture.
First of all, let me establish that I am also a former member of the Young Lords who was also at La Mega protest and witnessed what Gloria is criticizing.
Felipe Luciano’s interest is not one and the same with the community who demands that this radio station meets the needs of the community. Felipe Luciano is a promoter of Latino music, therefore, he has a financial stake in all that occurs with this struggle. His interest is not identical with the justified reasoning of most people who demand that La Mega represent the community it directs its advertising towards.
What we have to ask ourselves is, how can we possibly separate the attacks on
Puerto Rican culture from the struggle in Vieques? WE CANNOT!
One serves as the ideological justification for the existence of the other.
What other reason is there for the constant projection of Boricuas as
criminals, prostitutes, ignorant and dirty, if not to justify the miserable
socioeconomic reality imposed on our people by this racist & colonizing system?
What can better serve the aims of our oppressor who wants to trivialize the
peoples’ demands to get the U.S. Navy out of Vieques and to stop racist
persecution here in the United States?
La Mega is run by gusano Cuban exiles, who have historically been positioned
in key areas of Latino media and cultural institutions where they funnel to our
people ideas that divert attention away from looking at what to do about our
oppression as a people. In short, these exiles are nothing more than agents
of our colonizing oppressors within our midst.
It is ironic that Felipe Luciano is very much aware of the nature of gusanos in the Latino media industry; yet, he was hostile to anyone carrying a sign reading “PAZ PARA VIEQUES!”
It is also ironic that he has hardly mentioned the real offense this radio
station is guilty of, that is, their disgusting anti-women and anti-gay “humor,” which is a false and stereotypical representation of our people.
It is not surprising that the emphasis makes it appear as if playing Puerto
Rican Salsa music is the only issue in this struggle. Among the many reasons
why Felipe Luciano was removed from the Young Lords leadership in the year 1970 was his anti-women & anti-gay views which held back the political and organizational development of the struggle then, as it would also do today.
Shame on you Felipe Luciano and all those who support you for seeking mainstream legitimacy by disassociating “your” issue from the Puerto Rican peoples’ just struggle in Vieques.
Carlos(“Carlito”)Rovira, Jr.
Vieques reacciona ante propuesta Miranda Marín
Decepcionados los viequenses
viernes, 6 de abril de 2001 /Por Benjamín Torres /El Nuevo Día
VIEQUES – Los líderes de la oposición a la presencia de la Marina en esta isla municipio rechazaron ayer de plano la propuesta del alcalde de Caguas, William Miranda Marín, de ofrecerle al cuerpo naval un sitio alterno en Puerto Rico para realizar las maniobras que prácticamente nadie quiere aquí.
La propuesta fue rechazada porque aquí no quieren que ningún otro sitio de Puerto Rico ni de la región del Caribe enfrente los problemas ambientales y de salud que ellos le atribuyen a la Marina, pero también les resultó sorpresiva porque consideraban un partidario de su lucha a Miranda Marín, quien lanzó la propuesta el miércoles y la reiteró ayer.
“HABLA LA voz de la experiencia: el pueblo de Vieques sabe lo que la Marina hace aquí y no es recomendable para nadie. Nosotros no podemos decir que salven a los niños de Vieques del cáncer para que entonces maten a otros”, dijo el veterano luchador anti-Marina Ismael Guadalupe, portavoz del Comité Pro Rescate y Desarrollo de Vieques.
Miranda Marín, por su parte,propone ofrecerle a la Marina un sitio alterno en Puerto Rico, a cambio de que las transferencias económicas que Washington envía a Puerto Rico anualmente se hagan en bloque.
El alcalde cagüeño, ex ayudante general de la Guardia Nacional de Puerto Rico, ha rehusado identificar en qué otro sitio de Puerto Rico podrían llevarse a cabo las prácticas. La propuesta, añadió Guadalupe, “podría dar la impresión (en Estados Unidos de que en Puerto Rico) estamos levantando las manos y eso no es así. Ahora es que estamos más firmes”.
El líder del Campamento Justicia y Paz, Robert Rabin, sostuvo que Miranda Marín, como miembro del Partido Popular Democrático y alcalde de la ciudad en la que opera la diócesis católica que más ha apoyado la lucha viequense, ha estado comprometido y parecía entender la controversia por los bombardeos navales.
“SERIA HIPOCRITA de nuestra parte permitir que otros sufran lo que nosotros hemos rechazado”, dijo Rabin.
Agregó que Miranda Marín, por ser militar, podría estar pensando el problema “desde el punto de vista de la Marina”, pero manifestó que está “totalmente desatinado”.
Se distancia la Gobernadora del Alcalde de Caguas
viernes, 6 de abril de 2001 /Por Mildred Rivera Marrero /El Nuevo Día
LA GOBERNADORA Sila M. Calderón dejó solo ayer al alcalde de Caguas, William Miranda Marín, con su pro puesta de ofrecer otro pueblo de Puerto Rico a la Marina para que bombardee a cambio de dinero.
Calderón, que se rió cuando los periodistas le pidieron una reacción a la propuesta de Miranda Marín, dijo que eso no “encaja” con su estrategia, y rechazó que ella enviara a Miranda Marín a que presentara esa idea para ver la reacción de la opinión pública.
“Estoy segura de que el alcalde Willie Miranda Marín lo ha hecho con su mejor propósito y su mejor deseo. No conozco los detalles de esa propuesta. Es una propuesta individual, de él. Mi posición la conoce el pueblo de Puerto Rico”, aseguró Calderón.
Recordó que el bombardeo ha provocado un daño de salud a los residentes de Vieques, así como daños ecológicos. “El pueblo de Puerto Rico ha participado en estas prácticas y ha sido recipiente de estas prácticas por 60 años. Yo no contemplo, en este momento, que una alternativa sería bombardear en otro lugar en Puerto Rico”, afirmó Calderón respecto a la idea de Miranda Marín.
CUANDO SE le preguntó a Calderón si la propuesta de Miranda Marín “encaja” en sus trabajos sobre Vieques, ésta afirmó que “no encaja. Para mí son dos asuntos totalmente diferentes. Uno es un asunto de derechos humanos y de salud del pueblo de Vieques y de justicia y ecológico, y el otro es un asunto de desarrollo económico. No debemos atar esos asuntos ni permitir que en Estados Unidos se aten”. Cuando se le dijo que algunas personas especulan que Miranda Marín pudo haber actuado como un emisario suyo para sondear la opinión pública en torno a la posibilidad de mudar los bombardeos a otro punto del país, Calderón aseguró que “eso no es correcto y Miranda Marín puede corroborarlo”.
In my new book, Ruins of a Society and the Honorable, I speak of the foreign invasions and injustices that plagued the islands of Puerto Rico. I speak of the injustice of my uncle Jose Pereira Torres of Monte Santo Vieques, PR, who was forced out of Vieques during the US invasion of the 1940s; he was approximately 11 years old. He migrated to St Croix, Virgin Island and ran for the Senate November 07, 1978.
In May 1979, he was accused of conspiring to participate with a radical group in sabotaging US military vehicles, charges that were later proven false and eventually dismissed. The only violation committed by Jose Pereira was when he and 21 others were arrested for civil disobedience in a restricted US Navy bombing area, which was also the same year when The Crusade for the Rescue of Vieques was founded. But the injustice against Jose Pereira and others didn’t end there. Against his will and proclamation of innocence, my uncle was labeled a communist by US officials, but Jose Pereira saw himself as a freedom fighter and not an independentistas.
In his words, “independentistas concern themselves with too many issues beyond the problems of Vieques.†Unlike many others, I acknowledged the existence of the court and I make it clear this is not the problem. The bombardment, the injustices of our people and the forcible migration of Viequenses are my concerns. I’m here to prevent future generations from the humiliation we were all subjected to.â€
Making it clear to his family; he accused the government of torture and experiment of others while incarcerated. Angel Rodriguez Cristobal, who was also arrested with Jose, was sent to a federal prison in Florida, two weeks later he was found dead in his cell. According to prison officials he committed suicide by hanging, but reports stated he had a large gash across his forehead and a pool of blood beneath his feet where he hung in his cell.
Jose Pereira returned to St Croix and later died of cancer. Although these inhumane practices no longer exist in Puerto Rico, the reminisce left behind by the constant years of US military exercises in bombing Vieques, still show signs of extremely high levels of radiation, lead contamination and cancer among many children throughout most of the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico.
Sugar Pathways brought to surface in my mind the many stories told to me por mi madre, Margarita Pereira Morales, mi tio, Diego Pereira y mi tia, Maria Pereira Martinez, who is still a resident of Vieques. Johanna Bermudez-Ruiz has done a wonderful job in her documentary. I’m not only proud to say we are of the same bloodline, but extremely proud to have known her during my lifetime.
Caribbean nation Vieques alternative (?)
Caribbean nation may offer US Vieques alternative
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts and Nevis, March 21 (Reuters) – The Caribbean island
nation of St. Kitts and Nevis said on Wednesday it was considering a request
from members of the U.S. Congress to provide an alternative for the U.S.
military to the disputed Vieques bombing range in Puerto Rico.
Prime Minister Denzil Douglas told a local radio station that the request to
consider establishing a U.S. military base in the former British colony was
made during a meeting with members of Congress in Washington D.C. earlier
this month.
Douglas said his country of 40,000 people was considering the idea, but would
want more information on a range of issues — such as why the people of
Puerto Rico were against the bombing range in Vieques and what the benefits
of such a base might be — before going ahead with further discussions.
The economy of St. Kitts and Nevis, a twin-island country which gained
independence in 1983, is based on tourism, light manufacturing and sugar
production.
News of St. Kitts as a possible alternative to Vieques — whose use by the U.S. Navy as a bombing range has been the subject of a two-year dispute between the United States and Puerto Rico — also surfaced in Washington.
Pennsylvania Rep. Curt Weldon, wrote to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in
a letter released on Wednesday to encourage him to consider a greater
military presence in St. Kitts.
“This may prove to be a resolution to our impending training crisis due to
the probable future loss of Vieques,” wrote Weldon, Republican chairman of
the Armed Services Committee’s military readiness panel, after he and
Democratic Rep. Solomon Ortiz of Texas met with Douglas earlier this month.
BATTLE OVER VIEQUES
Puerto Rico Gov. Sila Calderon has strongly opposed continued training on
Vieques and has vowed to arrange a permanent halt.
Rumsfeld said earlier this month that the Navy would not use the Vieques bombing range pending talks between the administration and the U.S. territory’s government.
The Navy, which has used Vieques as a bombing range for 60 years, postponed
training once before, immediately after the April 1999 death of a security guard during a botched bombing run on Vieques.
His death unleashed pent-up local resentment against the Navy and sparked a drive across the territory for the Navy to leave the small island town off Puerto Rico’s east coast.
Douglas said in his remarks to the Voice of Nevis radio station that the approach from the U.S. Congressmen showed “there must be some measure of confidence that the U.S. Congressmen see in us.”
But he added that he had made clear his country would want to know why the
Puerto Ricans opposed the use of Vieques, what sort of military training was
carried out there and what the potential health and environmental hazards might be.
WHAT BENEFITS FOR ST. KITTS?
Douglas said the base issue “could only be discussed after it was fully
ventilated with our own people, especially the political implications, the social and the economic implications for our people.”
St. Kitts would also want to know what the economic, social and financial
benefits for the country would be, he said in remarks issued as a news
release later by his office.
Weldon said in his letter that Douglas “sought our counsel on how his country
could improve relations with the United States and possibly offer greater
cooperation with the U.S. military.”
Douglas expressed “sincere interest” in pursuing the possibility of a
substantial U.S. military presence, he said.
The Navy, which owns two-thirds of Vieques, has said its geography is perfect for air, sea and land maneuvers.
Weldon said in his letter that St. Kitts lies “in a strategic Caribbean location. It is virtually in the same longitude and latitude as Vieques. Clearly this strategic location would be helpful in establishing a new military presence.”
Weldon indicated that a military presence in St. Kitts also could help the United States fight regional drug trafficking. Douglas said St. Kitts was keen to enhance its relationship with the United States in the area of anti-drugs efforts.
Esta informaciÛn es cortesia de:
Comite de Nueva York
Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño
(212) 330-8258
NYS Assembly Vieques Resolution
Recibido del Compañero José Rossy en Albany Nueva York:
New York State Assembly Unanimously Supports Vieques
On Monday March 26 the Assembly of the State of New York approved a resolution decrying the economic stagnation of Vieques and attributing it to Navy activities on that Puerto Rican Island Municipality. The resolution notes that “the limitations that the navy’s activities impose on the daily
lives of the islanders are overwhelming: the threats to their lives and safety generate an atmosphere of anxiety and a climate of uncertainty regarding the possibilities for progress and well-being.” It adds “This structure of landholding and use is one of the main factors contributing to the economic stagnation of Vieques, where 70 percent of the population lives below the poverty level.” It concludes that Vieques faces urgent environmental, economic, social, health infrastructrual, and transportation problems associated with the Navy’s use of the land, and that “While there are many powerful reasons for ceasing military activities on Vieques, the most fundamental motivation lies in the damage such activities cause to the health of the children, youth, and adults of Vieques.” The resolution urges
the New York State Congressional Delegation to “seek the immediate and
permanent cessation of all United States Navy military activities on the island of Vieques.”
The resolution, introduced by
Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo (D-Bronx), was approved unanimously. Assemblywoman Arroyo, as well as many Assembly members: Latinos, African-American and Whites, spoke eloquently in support of the resolution. During a recess members of Albany for Vieques met with Assemblywoman Arroyo and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. The Speaker and the Assemblywoman agreed to present the Resolution at a Press Conference in
the Speaker’s NYC Office on Friday March 29 at 12:00 Noon. The Speaker’s
Office is located at 250 Broadway, 22ndFloor in Manhattan. Supporters of the people of Vieques are encouraged to attend this Press Conference, to notify
their contacts with local media, and to join the NYS Assembly en urging your
Congressional representatives to take note of this resolution.
Esta información es cortesía de:
Comité de Nueva York
Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño
(212) 330-8258
http://www.independencia.net
VIEQUES: BOMBS HAVE KILLED MANY CIVILIANS
VIEQUES: BOMBS HAVE KILLED MANY CIVILIANS (by Ivan Ramos Soler)
VIEQUES: BOMBS HAVE KILLED MANY CIVILIANS
Ivan Ramos Soler
The U.S. Navy claims that the accident on April 19, 1999, which killed a civilian in Vieques, is the only casualty that it has caused on the Island. In making this statement, the Navy is, once again, covering up the truth about its dangerous activities in Vieques.
For example, the Navy is concealing the tragic accident in which four boys
stepped on a bomb that was carelessly left in Vieques after a military
drill in 1952. The details of this accident are narrated in full herein as seen through the eyes of several children caught in the explosion. In
investigating these boysí tragedy, it has also been discovered that several other similar accidents have occurred in Vieques. Unfortunately, very little has been done to uncover the circumstances surrounding some of these other casualties.
The accident, suffered by Jesus “Chuito” Legrand, Frank Santiago, Miguel
“MiguelÌn” Legrand and Luis “Campeche” Campos EncarnaciÛn, after stepping on
a mortar bomb, left a strong mark in the minds of many other children who lived in Vieques at the time. Many of those children are now influential community leaders and activists who oppose the Navy presence on the Island.
The accident occurred when a group of four boys were playing near a small dairy farm owned by Pedro Felix, in an area in Vieques formerly known as Bastimento. There was another group of three older boys, who were also in the area of the accident but were not injured. Carlos ZenÛn, who is now one of the leaders of the movement to oust the Navy from Vieques, was one of these older boys who was in the vicinity of the accident.
Witnesses recall that they heard a loud explosion coming from the Bastimento area. Most assumed that the explosion was part of a military drill because, even though no maneuvers were supposed to take place that day, it is common for the Navy to conduct exercises without warning the civilian population. Several minutes after the explosion, Zenon heard wailing sounds and cries coming from a bushy area nearby. He advanced, with his brother Julio and another boy named Jose Vidal Lucas, towards the area were the sounds were coming from. He found the four younger boys, Frank, Miguelin, Campeche and Chuito, lying on the ground, covered with blood. Apparently one of the four boys had stepped on an explosive left on the ground by the Navy, setting it off.
Zenon recalls that he saw the body of Chuito Legrand lying face down on the ground, shivering and swinging its arms. He approached the body of the boy and flipped it face-up, in order to be able to see his face. When he turned the body around, Chuito’s skull opened, dripping blood and, spilling its encephalic matter on the ground. Although Chuito’s body was still moving at the time, Zenon knew immediately that his friend would not
survive the explosion.
Chuito was a vivacious seventh grader who always played around Vieques with his shirt off, as if he were enjoying his last days in a tropical Eden. “His skin was really tanned, like copper”, recalls Angel “Tato” Guadalupe, another well known Vieques activist, “and his eyes were impressive, because they were green or hazel, and made a nice contrast with his skin color.”
The three other boys involved in the explosion suffered serious injuries also. Frank, MiguelÌn and Campeche were strewn across the field, bleeding profusely. ZenÛn ran to a dirt road nearby, and signaled a Navy jeep to stop. ìI didn’t know English, but when the sailors saw my hands covered with blood they knew that it was serious. The Navy men followed me to the place were the boys were lying on the ground. They immediately radioed
for help and several rescue helicopters were flown in from the Roosevelt Roads
Naval Base in Ceibaî, recalls Zenon who was one of the oldest boys in the group.
The day after the explosion, life, in the otherwise quiet Island, came to a stand still. The men from Roosevelt Roads confirmed what many, already suspected: Chuito was dead. “I will never forget that day. I was about nine years old. When the news came in, I was on the baseball field playing short stop”, recalls Ismael Guadalupe, a fiery Vieques leader who has lead numerous civil disobedience campaigns to stop the bombing of the Island.
“I even remember the clothes that I was wearing that day. It was a white
shirt that was too big for me. Undoubtedly, the explosion that killed Chuito has played an important role in my development as an activist.”
The other three boys caught in the explosion were maimed for the rest of
their lives. Miguelin, Chuito’s brother, suffered permanent injuries in one of his arms. Several bomb fragments were lodged inside Frank’s body, causing pain and discomfort throughout his adult life. Campeche was paralyzed for many months and had difficulty walking many years after the bomb smashed his legs.
Although Chuitoís death moved the people in Vieques, his story did not receive much attention from the news media in Puerto Rico. Political repression was widespread in those days and many were going to jail for openly criticizing the United States dominion over Puerto Rico. For example, Puerto Ricoís National Poet, Francisco Matos Paoli was imprisoned
in 1951 solely because he uttered “four subversive speeches”.
Due to this atmosphere of political persecution, the people of Puerto Rico were not fully aware of the large number of casualties caused by the Navy in
Vieques. A careful review of the history of Vieques shows that Chuito’s death was not an isolated incident and that many similar tragedies have gone unreported.
In the early 1940ís, Anastasio Acosta and his son Domingo were killed when the hoof of the horse that they were riding struck and detonated an explosive. In the 1960ís, a stray bullet fired by a sailor during target practice killed Elena Holiday. In addition, hand grenades left over by military men have caused several accidents on the Island. In the early
1970ís, a young girl lost several fingers when a group of children, who were
playing on the beach, accidentally detonated a rusty hand grenade.
Similar accidents also occurred on the neighboring Puerto Rican Island of Culebra, where the Navy conducted military training until 1975. In 1940 a
child died in Culebra from a grenade explosion. In another similar accident, Alberto Peña Garcia, a fifteen-year-old child, died when a grenade exploded in his hands. Issac Espinosa lost an arm, also as a result of a grenade in 1914. In 1940, Vicente Romero lost an arm in a similar incident.
In 1964, Sixto Colon lost his right eye from the explosion of a weapon abandoned by the Navy. Moreover, a bomb that was mistakenly dropped at the observation point in Culebra killed nine Navy officers in April of 1946.
Unexploded ordnance and, stray bombs and bullets were a serious problem in Vieques throughout the 1990’s and are still a problem today. After the fatal accident in April of 1999, journalists from all over the world photographed hundreds of unexploded bombs scattered all over the Island evidencing the Navy’s continuous disregard for the safety of children
like Chuito. Stray bullets have also been a problem in recent years. On one
occasion, several stray bullets hit motor vehicles from the Department of Public Works in Vieques. Fortunately, no one was injured in this incident.
Not all the victims of the Navy have died directly from bombs and bullets like Chuito. Many have died by the criminal acts of drunken sailors and authoritarian Navy officers. The people in Vieques still remember when an elderly man named Mapepe Christian was brutally killed by a gang of drunken sailors. They also remember the murder of Urbano Rosario and the fatal shooting of a twelve year old boy named Esteban Correa, who was killed by a Navy officer right in front of the gate to Camp Garcia.
Toxic materials present in the Navy’s bombs and weapons have caused the cancer rate in Vieques to skyrocket. Due to the use of toxic substances by the Navy such as napalm, uranium, chromium, mercury, lead and cadmium, the people of Vieques suffer from a cancer rate that is 27 percent higher than the rest of Puerto Rico. These persons who are dying of cancer in Vieques are, like Chuito and his friends, victims of the Navy’s military practices.
Therefore, it is disingenuous for the Navy to claim that there has only been one casualty in the sixty-year history of its bombing range. To date only some casualties, such as the one suffered by Chuito and his friends, have been documented. Many others are currently being investigated with the hope that the findings of such investigations will expose to the world what the people of Puerto Rico already know: the suffering of the people of Vieques and the arrogance and moral turpitude of their military oppressors.
The author is a member of Todo Connecticut con Vieques he can be reached
at ivanr67@hotmail.com
RE: RE: Viequenses paralize ATSDR proceedings
Where do you live? Obviously, not in PR. Would you like the idea of having your home land constantly bombed? Or, even worst: would you like to see your own family, your grandmother, your brother, die of cancer?
Vieques has served as a military target for 60 years. Many inocent CIVIL children, women and men have died of numerous diseases related to the marines military practices. Would you be willing to change places with Vieques and accept the marines to bomb your home land? I think not!
Yet Vieques accepted this tragic fate for 60 years and you have the audacity to ask why!
You ask who will benefit by the “navy” leaving. First I remember you it is not the navy but the Marines who make us slaves of illness. And to answer your question, every puertorrican, but specially, every viequense will benefit from there departure. They will have a lot of work to do on rebuilding what the marines destroyed and on medicating all the ill people that will continue to appear for years to come, but they will be free!
Just like you! Right Freedom?
Gobernador Pataki de Nueva York viaja a Vieques
SCROLL DOWN FOR ENGLISH
Comite Pro Rescate y Desarrollo de Vieques
Apartado 1424 Vieques, Puerto Rico 00765
(787) 741-0716 E mail bieke@coqui.net
1 de abril de 2001
Gobernador Pataki de Nueva York viaja a Vieques
El Gobernador del estado de Nueva York, el republicano, George Pataki, anuncio sus planes de viajar a Vieques a principios de abril. Llegara a Puerto Rico para dialogar con la Gobernadora CalderÛn y viajar· a Vieques para conocer de cerca la situacion del pueblo. Durante conferencia de prensa en el Centro Cultural Julia de Burgos en el Barrio Latino de Nueva York, Pataki declaro que “estamos contentos con la suspension del
bombardeo en el mes de marzo que ordeno el Presidente Bush, pero queremos el cese inmediato del bombardeo, no en tres años; que se vaya la Marina de Vieques ahora.”
El anuncio de la visita del Gobernador de Nueva York responde a la aprobacion un·nime en la Legislatura del Estado el 26 de marzo de una resolucion en apoyo al “cese inmediato y permanente de toda actividad militar estadounidense en la Isla de Vieques.”
Nilda Medina, portavoz del Comite Pro Rescate y Desarrollo de Vieques, comento que “la visita de Pataki se suma a las visitas de otros prominentes figuras de la vida p·blica que apoyan la salida de la Marina de Vieques.” Añadio que la visita de Pataki toma una importancia mayor por ser el un poderoso miembro del Partido Republicano y un allegado al
Presidente George Bush.
El asambleista estatal JosÈ Rivera menciono que Pataki se comprometio a
pedirle al Presidente una reunion con lideres puertorriqueÒos y viequenses
de la lucha contra la presencia militar.
Contacto: Robert Rabin 375-0525
—
ENGLISH VERSION
Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques
P.O. Box 1424 Vieques, Puerto Rico 00765
Tel. (787) 741-0716 Email: bieke@coqui.net
1 April, 2001
Press Release
Governor Pataki of New York to visit Vieques
The Governor of New York, republican George Pataki, announced his plan to
travel to Vieques early in April. He will arrive in Puerto Rico to speak with Governor Calderon and will travel to Vieques to learn about the situation on the island municipality. During a press conference at the Julia de Burgos Cultural Center in the Latin Barrio of New York, Pataki stated that “we are happy with the Presidente’s suspension of bombing in March, but we want the immediate and permanent cessation of bombing, not in three years; we want the Navy to leave Vieques now.”
The announcement of the visit by New York’s governor responds to the
unanimous approval by the State Legislature on the 26th of March of a
resolution calling for the “immediate and permanent cessation of all activity by the US military on the Island of Vieques.”
Nilda Medina, spokeswoman for the Committee for the Rescue and Development
of Vieques, commented that “the visit by Pataki adds to a list of other prominent figures of public life that support the movement to get the Navy out of Vieques.” She added that Pataki’s visit takes on added importance since he is a powerful member of the Republican Party and is close to President George Bush.
State Assemblyman JosÈ Rivera mentioned that Pataki made a commitment to ask the President to meet with Puerto Rican and Viequense leaders of the struggle against the militar presence on Vieques.
Contact: Robert Rabin 375-0525
Pataki’s bold moves shall be rewarded!
As if American elections weren’t getting complex enough, New York Governor Pataki has set out to right a tremendous wrong–the invisibility of the Vieques issue among Americans generally. Going further, the general invisibility of Latinos–period.
I find him extraordinary and would like to suggest a topic for discussion. If the Republican Party took on Latino issues and attempted to address them, should Latinos, who currently are overwhelmingly Democrats, change parties? It may very well be a ploy on Pataki and Bush’s part to win the Latino vote, but hey whose complaining! I think Pataki is making bold moves and, if anything, I’m asking what is the stateside Puerto Rican leadership’s position on this?
Vieques: One for all and all for one!
To All Vieques Supporters:
You should know that Felipe Luciano found it necessary to order one of our members to put down his US Navy Out of Vieques poster at the recent picket at La Mega last week. It seems, according to Felipe, Panama and Gillian (significant organizers of the picket) that the struggle for Vieques must be kept separate and apart from the local musicians’ struggle for play at La Mega.
Meanwhile: Tito Trinidad brought Vieques to the ring in his world championship match against LaHoya, Ruben Blade always brings Vieques to Broadway, Ricky Martin brought Virques to the President, Benicio Del Toro can bring Vieques to the Oscars
You should know that the former leader of the Young Lords is running for City Coucil out of El Barrio. I gues the musicians will be playing and voting for him!!!
Gloria E. Quinones
===============
Gloria Quiñones should be commended for taking the initiative in raising this
issue. What she is mentioning regarding events at the “La Mega” protest
should not be surprising.
At the present time the most dangerous tendency in the Vieques struggle, is
to separate it from other areas of our peoples’ oppression. It should also
notbe surprising how some of these former leaders of the Young Lords were ready, willing & able to repress anyone making the political connections between Vieques and the overall attacks on Puerto Rican/Latin@ culture.
First of all, let me establish that I am also a former member of the Young Lords who was also at La Mega protest and witnessed what Gloria is criticizing.
Felipe Luciano’s interest is not one and the same with the community who demands that this radio station meets the needs of the community. Felipe Luciano is a promoter of Latino music, therefore, he has a financial stake in all that occurs with this struggle. His interest is not identical with the justified reasoning of most people who demand that La Mega represent the community it directs its advertising towards.
What we have to ask ourselves is, how can we possibly separate the attacks on
Puerto Rican culture from the struggle in Vieques? WE CANNOT!
One serves as the ideological justification for the existence of the other.
What other reason is there for the constant projection of Boricuas as
criminals, prostitutes, ignorant and dirty, if not to justify the miserable
socioeconomic reality imposed on our people by this racist & colonizing system?
What can better serve the aims of our oppressor who wants to trivialize the
peoples’ demands to get the U.S. Navy out of Vieques and to stop racist
persecution here in the United States?
La Mega is run by gusano Cuban exiles, who have historically been positioned
in key areas of Latino media and cultural institutions where they funnel to our
people ideas that divert attention away from looking at what to do about our
oppression as a people. In short, these exiles are nothing more than agents
of our colonizing oppressors within our midst.
It is ironic that Felipe Luciano is very much aware of the nature of gusanos in the Latino media industry; yet, he was hostile to anyone carrying a sign reading “PAZ PARA VIEQUES!”
It is also ironic that he has hardly mentioned the real offense this radio
station is guilty of, that is, their disgusting anti-women and anti-gay “humor,” which is a false and stereotypical representation of our people.
It is not surprising that the emphasis makes it appear as if playing Puerto
Rican Salsa music is the only issue in this struggle. Among the many reasons
why Felipe Luciano was removed from the Young Lords leadership in the year 1970 was his anti-women & anti-gay views which held back the political and organizational development of the struggle then, as it would also do today.
Shame on you Felipe Luciano and all those who support you for seeking mainstream legitimacy by disassociating “your” issue from the Puerto Rican peoples’ just struggle in Vieques.
Carlos(“Carlito”)Rovira, Jr.
Vieques reacciona ante propuesta Miranda Marín
Decepcionados los viequenses
viernes, 6 de abril de 2001 /Por Benjamín Torres /El Nuevo Día
VIEQUES – Los líderes de la oposición a la presencia de la Marina en esta isla municipio rechazaron ayer de plano la propuesta del alcalde de Caguas, William Miranda Marín, de ofrecerle al cuerpo naval un sitio alterno en Puerto Rico para realizar las maniobras que prácticamente nadie quiere aquí.
La propuesta fue rechazada porque aquí no quieren que ningún otro sitio de Puerto Rico ni de la región del Caribe enfrente los problemas ambientales y de salud que ellos le atribuyen a la Marina, pero también les resultó sorpresiva porque consideraban un partidario de su lucha a Miranda Marín, quien lanzó la propuesta el miércoles y la reiteró ayer.
“HABLA LA voz de la experiencia: el pueblo de Vieques sabe lo que la Marina hace aquí y no es recomendable para nadie. Nosotros no podemos decir que salven a los niños de Vieques del cáncer para que entonces maten a otros”, dijo el veterano luchador anti-Marina Ismael Guadalupe, portavoz del Comité Pro Rescate y Desarrollo de Vieques.
Miranda Marín, por su parte,propone ofrecerle a la Marina un sitio alterno en Puerto Rico, a cambio de que las transferencias económicas que Washington envía a Puerto Rico anualmente se hagan en bloque.
El alcalde cagüeño, ex ayudante general de la Guardia Nacional de Puerto Rico, ha rehusado identificar en qué otro sitio de Puerto Rico podrían llevarse a cabo las prácticas. La propuesta, añadió Guadalupe, “podría dar la impresión (en Estados Unidos de que en Puerto Rico) estamos levantando las manos y eso no es así. Ahora es que estamos más firmes”.
El líder del Campamento Justicia y Paz, Robert Rabin, sostuvo que Miranda Marín, como miembro del Partido Popular Democrático y alcalde de la ciudad en la que opera la diócesis católica que más ha apoyado la lucha viequense, ha estado comprometido y parecía entender la controversia por los bombardeos navales.
“SERIA HIPOCRITA de nuestra parte permitir que otros sufran lo que nosotros hemos rechazado”, dijo Rabin.
Agregó que Miranda Marín, por ser militar, podría estar pensando el problema “desde el punto de vista de la Marina”, pero manifestó que está “totalmente desatinado”.
Se distancia la Gobernadora del Alcalde de Caguas
viernes, 6 de abril de 2001 /Por Mildred Rivera Marrero /El Nuevo Día
LA GOBERNADORA Sila M. Calderón dejó solo ayer al alcalde de Caguas, William Miranda Marín, con su pro puesta de ofrecer otro pueblo de Puerto Rico a la Marina para que bombardee a cambio de dinero.
Calderón, que se rió cuando los periodistas le pidieron una reacción a la propuesta de Miranda Marín, dijo que eso no “encaja” con su estrategia, y rechazó que ella enviara a Miranda Marín a que presentara esa idea para ver la reacción de la opinión pública.
“Estoy segura de que el alcalde Willie Miranda Marín lo ha hecho con su mejor propósito y su mejor deseo. No conozco los detalles de esa propuesta. Es una propuesta individual, de él. Mi posición la conoce el pueblo de Puerto Rico”, aseguró Calderón.
Recordó que el bombardeo ha provocado un daño de salud a los residentes de Vieques, así como daños ecológicos. “El pueblo de Puerto Rico ha participado en estas prácticas y ha sido recipiente de estas prácticas por 60 años. Yo no contemplo, en este momento, que una alternativa sería bombardear en otro lugar en Puerto Rico”, afirmó Calderón respecto a la idea de Miranda Marín.
CUANDO SE le preguntó a Calderón si la propuesta de Miranda Marín “encaja” en sus trabajos sobre Vieques, ésta afirmó que “no encaja. Para mí son dos asuntos totalmente diferentes. Uno es un asunto de derechos humanos y de salud del pueblo de Vieques y de justicia y ecológico, y el otro es un asunto de desarrollo económico. No debemos atar esos asuntos ni permitir que en Estados Unidos se aten”. Cuando se le dijo que algunas personas especulan que Miranda Marín pudo haber actuado como un emisario suyo para sondear la opinión pública en torno a la posibilidad de mudar los bombardeos a otro punto del país, Calderón aseguró que “eso no es correcto y Miranda Marín puede corroborarlo”.
Esta información es cortesía de:
Comité de Nueva York
Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño
(212) 330-8258
http://www.independencia.net
In my new book, Ruins of a Society and the Honorable, I speak of the foreign invasions and injustices that plagued the islands of Puerto Rico. I speak of the injustice of my uncle Jose Pereira Torres of Monte Santo Vieques, PR, who was forced out of Vieques during the US invasion of the 1940s; he was approximately 11 years old. He migrated to St Croix, Virgin Island and ran for the Senate November 07, 1978.
In May 1979, he was accused of conspiring to participate with a radical group in sabotaging US military vehicles, charges that were later proven false and eventually dismissed. The only violation committed by Jose Pereira was when he and 21 others were arrested for civil disobedience in a restricted US Navy bombing area, which was also the same year when The Crusade for the Rescue of Vieques was founded. But the injustice against Jose Pereira and others didn’t end there. Against his will and proclamation of innocence, my uncle was labeled a communist by US officials, but Jose Pereira saw himself as a freedom fighter and not an independentistas.
In his words, “independentistas concern themselves with too many issues beyond the problems of Vieques.†Unlike many others, I acknowledged the existence of the court and I make it clear this is not the problem. The bombardment, the injustices of our people and the forcible migration of Viequenses are my concerns. I’m here to prevent future generations from the humiliation we were all subjected to.â€
Making it clear to his family; he accused the government of torture and experiment of others while incarcerated. Angel Rodriguez Cristobal, who was also arrested with Jose, was sent to a federal prison in Florida, two weeks later he was found dead in his cell. According to prison officials he committed suicide by hanging, but reports stated he had a large gash across his forehead and a pool of blood beneath his feet where he hung in his cell.
Jose Pereira returned to St Croix and later died of cancer. Although these inhumane practices no longer exist in Puerto Rico, the reminisce left behind by the constant years of US military exercises in bombing Vieques, still show signs of extremely high levels of radiation, lead contamination and cancer among many children throughout most of the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico.
Sugar Pathways brought to surface in my mind the many stories told to me por mi madre, Margarita Pereira Morales, mi tio, Diego Pereira y mi tia, Maria Pereira Martinez, who is still a resident of Vieques. Johanna Bermudez-Ruiz has done a wonderful job in her documentary. I’m not only proud to say we are of the same bloodline, but extremely proud to have known her during my lifetime.
Al Bermudez Pereira