2000 CPEO Military List Archive

From: bieke@coqui.net
Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2000 10:23:39 -0700 (PDT)
Reply: cpeo-military
Subject: [CPEO-MEF] Informe de Vieques Vieques Report
 
(SCROLL DOWN FOR ENGLISH)

Comite Pro Rescate y Desarrollo de Vieques

Informe de actividades en Vieques hasta el 23 de agosto de 2000

(El huracan Betty no paso tan cerca a Vieques para causar danos.Gracias a
todos por los emails y llamadas preocupados por nuestra situacion.)

El primero de agosto un equipo de personas del Comite Pro Rescate y
Desarrollo de Vieques y de la Juventud Viequnse Unida tomaron la oficina de
la Secretaria de Salud, obligandola a reunirse y dialogar sobre la seria
situacion de contaminacion militar y la urgencia de actualizar las
investigaciones sobre la incidencia de cancer en la isla municipio.

Durante la primera semana de agosto comenzaron las maniobras militares
programadas hasta el 24 de este mes. Simultaneamente, comenzaron varias
acciones y actividades de desobediencia civil y de protesta contra la
presencia militar. El 3 de agosto mas de 200 personas participaron en una
Asamblea de Pueblo en el Campamento Justicia y Paz, frente al porton de la
zona de bombardeo (Camp GarceDa). Se aprobo una resolucion en la cual las
organizaciones comunitarias viequenses reafiramaron el compromiso para con
la desobediencia civil paceDfica en la lucha por la paz de Vieques.
Terminados los mensajes, alrededor de 125 personas cruzamos la calle para
acercarnos a la verja que la Marina ha reforzado con multiples rollos de
alambre de pua y de serpentina, creando una escena de campo de
concentracion. Colocamos cintas blancas a la verja, gritamos consignas y
reflexionamos, mientras Norma Torres nos leyo su poema mas reciente, LA
VERJA SILENTE.

Durante la proxima semana un grupo de Mujeres Viequenses - acompanadas por
mujeres solidarias de la Isla Grande - y un grupo de la Juventud Viequense
Unida (VYU), fueron arrestados despues de penetrar la zona restringida en
dos noches consecutivas. Las mujeres fueron liberadas despues de ser
procesadas en el Tribunal Federal en San Juan. Los jovenes, sin embargo,
fueron encarcelados en el Centro de Detencion Federal con 10 mil dolares de
fianza. Fueron liberados al deDa siguiente. Cientos de personas
participaron en las caravanas y concentraciones en el Campamento Justicia y
Paz las noches en que regresaron por avion - fletado por el CPRDV - tanto
las mujeres como los jovenes viequenses.

El sabado 5 de agosto, se celebro una reunion en Vieques con varios
miembros de la Coordinadora Todo Puerto Rico con Vieques y representantes
de las organizaciones de base e la Isla Nena. Esa noche, la vigilia que se
celebra todos los sabados en el Campamento Justicia y Paz, conto con una
presentacion teatral del grupo, AGUA, SOL Y SERENO, bajo la direccion de
Pedro Adorno. Tambien animaron la vigilia un grupo de jovenes de San
Francisco - LOCOBLOCO - con una excitante presentacion de baile y percusion. 

Durante la semana del 6 de agosto, se transmitio por Noticentro 4 (WAPA TV)
el reportaje, Alerta Roja 2, de Pedro Rosa Nales. Este reportaje de tres
deDas sobre un artefacto nuclear que por error la Marina dejo caer en aguas
viequenses en 1966, conto con nueva informacion obtenida por el Lcdo.
Flavio Cumpiano (CPRDV-Washington, DC) que revela el proceso de
encubrimiento por parte de los militares y ofrecen mayores detalles sobre
este incidente. 

El domingo, 13 de agosto, se llevo a cabo la Cadena Humana, con la
participacion de aproximadamente mil personas, mayormente de la comunidad
viequense. Musica de Americo Boscheti y la poeseDa de Norma Torres, ayudo a
preparar la tonica para la accion simbolica que termino con mas de 600
personas frente a la verja, amarrando cintas, carteles y banderas PAZ PARA
VIEQUES. 

A continuacion, parte del mensaje multi generacional que fue el unico
ofrecido durante la actividad de la cadena humana:

Por mas de medio siglo la Marina ha atacado la familia viequense, obligando
a nuestros esposos a buscar trabajo en otros lugares y a nuestros hijos a
salir en busca de estudios. Han acosado y violado a nuestras mujeres. Han
envenenado nuestra tierra, aire y agua. Es tiempo de ponerle fin a este
atropello. Es tiempo de unir a la gran familia viequense; a esta gran
familia puertorriquena en defensa de Vieques.

Las verjas de la Marina no podran jamas parar la marcha de la historia y la
justicia. Esta verja no detendra la marcha de nuestro pueblo hacia su
destino - que es tener un Vieques Libre de la Marina.

Hoy nos reunimos frente a la verja militar para conocerla de cerca,
contemplar las tierras nuestras presas al otro lado. Hoy pondremos cintas y
banderas, reflexionaremos y oraremos por la paz nuestra y la de las futuras
generaciones.

Pero en otro momento nos encontraremos frente a esta verja con el deber en
la mano, con la historia de tantos atropellos en el corazon y con el
compromiso de terminar con todas las barreras que nos separan de nuestro
patrimonio territorial y de nuestra paz.

La familia viequense esta unida ante la amenaza de la Marina. Vieques es
nuestro, rescatemoslo!

La actividad de la Cadena Humana fue un proyecto conjunto del CPRDV, la
Alianza de Mujeres Viequenses y la Juventud Viequense Unida.

Una delegacion por la desmilitarizacion y la descontaminacion, organizada
por el Movimiento de Reconciliacion y el Proyecto Caribeno de Justicia y
Paz, llego a Vieques el martes, 15, con representantes de organizaciones
comunitarias de EU, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Panama, Hawaii y Corea.
Compartieron sus experiencias y aprendieron sobre la situacion de Vieques
en una serie de reuniones con miembros de las organizaciones viequenses.
Estuvieron dos deDas en Vieques y varios mas en la Isla Grande para conocer
la problematica de la militarizacion en Puerto Rico. 

Tambien el martes, se llevo a cabo una vista publica en Vieques sobre el
Plan de Uso de Terrenos que el Gobierno Municipal somete a la Junta de
Planificacion. Cientos de viequenses participaron en una protesta en las
afueras del Centro de Usos Multiples mientras decenas mas depusieron
durante las vistas.El tema comun - tanto de la protesta como de las
ponencias - fue la exigencia de mas tiempo para estudiar los documentos,
una participacion comunitaria en el proceso de la planificacion y una
fuerte denuncia del papel protagonico asignado a la Marina en el plan de la
Alcaldesa de Vieques, Manuela Santiago. Al final de la vista, la Alcaldesa
tuvo acedio a las demandas de la ciudadaneDa de revisar el plan y eliminar
la Marina de la discusion. Nuestra comunidad conto con el excelente apoyo
de nuestro Grupo Tecnico y Profesional para el Desarrollo Sustentable de
Vieques. 

Del 17 al 20 de agosto, estuvieron con nosotros 20 integrantes de una
delegacion de solidaridad de Nueva Inglaterra. Boricuas y estadounidenses
de Vermont, Connecticut, New Hampshire y cinco medicos del Bronx
participaron en varias reuniones con lideres viequenses (Carlos Zenon,
Ismael Guadalupe, Nilda Medina, Judith Conde, entre otros) para conocer de
cerca la situacion actual y los planes futuros de la lucha por la paz de
Vieques. Entre otras tareas, el grupo ayudo con la pintura del Albergue
Justicia y Paz que se construye en el campamento del mismo nombre, bajo la
direccion del canta-autor-contratista-artesano, Noel Hernandez. Tambien
participaron en la vigilia del sabado, 19 de agosto, junto a un grupo de
poetas puertorriquenos de Puerto Rico y de Nueva York.

Como pueden ver, los trabajos son continuos y cuentan con una excelente
participacion de nuestra comunidad y de personas y grupos solidarios de
diversos puntos del planeta. La construccion del Albergue Justicia y Paz y
los trabajos cotidianos para mantener el Campamento Justicia y Paz
requieren de muchos esfuerzos y sacrificios de nuestro equipo de trabajo.
Los integrantes del Comite Pro Rescate y Desarrollo de Vieques y un nucleo
de integrantes del Campamento mantienen este foco de protesta en constante
accion.

Apelamos a todos las companeros solidarios con nuestra lucha a enviar su
aportacion economica para continuar con esta lucha por la Paz de Vieques,
que es la lucha por la paz de todos. 

Aportaciones pueden enviarse al CPRDV Apartado 1424 Vieques, PR 00765 o
depositarse en la cuenta bancaria del CPRDV: Banco Popular #112 868231

En lucha, en solidaridad,

Robert Rabin, CPRDV

ENGLISH VERSION

Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques

Report on Activities in Vieques through 23 August

(Hurricane Betty did not pass close enough to Vieques to cause damage.
Thanks to all for emails and phone calls concerned about our situation.)

The first of August a team from the Committee for the Rescue and
Development of Vieques (CRDV) and the Vieques Youth United (VYU) occupied
the office of the Secretary of Health in San Juan, forcing her to meet with
the group and discuss the serious situation of military contamination and
the urgency to update the investigations about the cancer rate on the
island municipality.

During the first week of August the Navy began maneuvers scheduled to last
until de 24th of this month. Simultaneously, we began several actions of
civil disobedience and protest. On 3 August more than 200 people
participated in a People's Assembly at Peace and Justice Camp, in front of
the entrance to the bombing range of Camp GarceDa. A resolution was
approved by the assembly, reafirming the committement of the community
organizations to use peacefull civil disobedience in the struggle for peace
on Vieques. After the mesages, around 125 people crossed the street, walked
up the the Navy's fence - heavily fortified with several rolls of razor
wire creating a concentration camp atmosphere - to tie ribbons on the
fence, sing hymms and chants and reflect while Norma Torres recited her
most recent poem, The silent fence.

The following week a group of Viequense Women - accompanied by women in
solidarity from the main island - and a group of Vieques youth, were
arrested after penetrating the Navy's restricted zone of Camp Garcia on two
consecutive nights. The women were freed after processing in the Federal
Court at San Juan. The members of the VYU, however, were sent to the
Federal Corrections Facility when they could not post the 10 thousand
dollar bail imposed by the judge! They were released the next day. Hundreds
participated in car caravans and support protests at Camp Peace and Justice
the nights the women and youth returned by plane chartered by the CRDV.

Saturday, August 5th, the Coordinating Committee All Puerto Rico with
Vieques met in Vieques with leades community organizations. That night
during the vigil that takes place every Saturday night at Peace and Justice
Camp, enjoyed the participation of the theatre group, Agua, Sol y Sereno,
under the direction of Pedro Adorno. Also contributing to the festive
atmosphere of our protests was the group Locobloco, a San Francisco based
youth group with an exciting presentation of dance and percussion.

During the week of 6 August, the special report, Alerta Roja 2 (Red Alert
2) was aired on Channel 4 News. The special, prepared by reporter Pedro
Rosa Nales, dealt with an incidente in 1966 when Navy pilots accidently
dropped a nuclear device in Vieques waters. The report included new
evidence, obtained by CRDV representative Flavio Cumpiano, esq.,
(Washington, DC), that revealed new information about the cover up of this
issue that was highlighted in the Alerta Roja program originally prepared
by Rosa Nales in 1998.

On Sunday, August 13th, we created a Human Chain, with the participation of
approximately 1000 people, mainly from Vieques. Americo Bosheti sung and
Norma Torres read her most recent poem, The Silent Fence, while over 600
spread out along the military fence to tie white ribbons, flags and signs
for peace on Vieques.

Here is part of the multi-generational mesage offered during the activity:

For more than half a century the Navy has attacked the Viequense family,
forcing our husbands to look for work in other places and our children to
leave in order to study. They have raped our women. They have poisoned our
land, air and water. It is time to put an end to this abuse. It is time to
unite the greater Viequense family, this great Puerto Rican family in
defense of Vieques.

The Navy fences can never stop the march of history and justice. This fence
will not detain the march of our people toward our destiny - that is to
have a Vieques Free from the Navy!

Today we meet in front of the military fence to know it close up, to
contemplate the lands trapped on the other side. Today we place ribbons and
flags, we reflect and pray for our peace and that of future generations.

There will be another moment when we will be together in front of this
fence with our duty in our hands, with the history of so many abuses in our
hearts and with the committment to eliminate the barriers that separate us
from our territory and our peace.

The Vieuqense family is united before the threat of the Navy. Vieques is
ours, lets rescue her!

The Human Chain action was organized by the CRDV, the Vieques Women's
Alliance and the Vieques Youth United.

A delegation for decontamination and demilitarization, organized by the
Fellowship of Reconciliation and the Caribbean Project for Peace and
Justice (PR), arrived on Vieques on Tuesday the 15th, with delegates from
community organizations in the US, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Panama, Hawaii and
Korea. They shared their experiences and learned about our situation
through a series of meetings with members of the Vieques groups. They were
in Vieques for two days and several more on the main island to study the
problem of militarism in Puerto Rico.

Also on Tuesday, a public hearing was held on the Land Use Plan submitted
to the Planning Board by the Municipal Government of Vieques. Hundreds of
Viequenses participated in a protest outside the Multiple Use Center here
while around 40 people presented depositions. The common theme - of the
protest and the depositions - was the demand for more time to study the
documents, community participation in the planning process and a strong
denouncement of the protagonic role of the Navy in the plan prepared by the
Mayor, Manuela Santiago. By the end of the hearing, the mayor was forced to
cede to demands for more time to review the plan and to remove all mention
of the Navy from a revised plan she would have prepared before December.
Our community had the excellent support of the Technical and Professional
Group for the Sustainable Development of Vieques in the process of
analyzing the Land Use Plan.

>From the 17th to the 20th of August, 20 members of a solidarity delegation
from New England were with us at Peace and Justice Camp. Puerto Ricans and
North Americans from Vermont, Connecticut, New Hampshire and five doctors
from the Bronx participated in a series of meetings with Vieques leaders
(Carlos Zenon, Ismael Guadalupe, Nilda Medina, Judith Conde, among others)
to learn first hand about the current situation and plans for the next
phase in the struggle for Peace on Vieques. Among other tasks, the
delegation helped paint the Peace and Justice Shelter build under the
supervision of singer-song writer and master builder, Noel Hernandez. The
group also participated in the Saturday night vigil, together with a group
of poets from New York and Puerto Rico.

As you can see, the work here is continuos. Our community strongly backs
the struggle, participating in the the many activities here at Peace and
Justice Camp, together with people and organizations in solidarity from
diverse areas of the planet. The construction of the Peace and Justice
Shelter and the daily tasks involved in maintaining this camp require great
efforts and sacrifices on the part of our work team. The Committee for the
Rescue and Development of Vieques maintains this important protest area in
constant action.

We appeal to all people in solidarity with our struggle to send economic
support to help continue this struggle for Peace in Vieques, which is a
struggle for peace for everyone. You may send donations to CRDV PO Box 1424
Vieques, PR 00765 or deposit in the Committee's account: 
Banco Popular # 112 868231

In Struggle, in solidarity

Robert Rabin, CPRDV

Fuera la Marina de Vieques!

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