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navy still bombing vieques
On December 6, 2000, the United States carried out a new bombing exercise on the island of Vieques off Puerto Rico. It did not even give 15 days notice of the boming, as it is required to by the 1983 Memo of Understanding between the U.S. government and Puerto Rico.
The U.S. only posted notices the day before warning fishermen that the danger to their boats and equipment would last until December 9.
The Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques (CRDV) issued a statement on Dec. 6 explaining that the Navy was using live bombs, although it is supposed to drop only "inert" ones. Committee spokesperson Robert Rabin said, "Sixty years of abuse and lies from the Navy make it impossible to believe in the military here."
The approaching end of the Clinton administration prompted last minute appeals to the supposed liberal president to issue an executive order stopping the bombing, so far unheeded.
According to the compromise accepted by the U.S. government after mass demonstrations against the Navy's destruction of Vieques, a referendum is scheduled to be held in November on whether Vieques will continue to be used as a target. But even if the opponents of bombing win the referendum, the Navy can continue bombing until May 2003.
The referendum will offer Vieques voters a choice only between two options: (1) The Navy continues "inert" bombing until May 2003 and the U.S. gives $40 million for projects to benefit the local people, (2) The Navy continues "live bombing" indefinetly and $50 million more will be alloted for local projects.
In the meantime, U.S. authorities have been trying to rig the vote by getting as many Navy personnel and dependents as possible to register and by offering material incentives to potential supporters, such as temporary jobs. But their candidate still won only 30 percent of the vote in the last municipal electios.
Demonstrations and electoral tests have shown that a great majority of the population of Puerto Rico opposes the military use of Vieques. The Navy's imperial arrogance is fueling a growing mass resentment.
The Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques can be contacted at: P.O. Box 1424, Vieques, PR 00765. Tel. (787) 741-0716. Fax (741) 0358. Email: bieke@coqui.net
This article was written by Gerry Foley, and first appeared in the January 2001 issues of Socialist Action newspaper.
