[CPEO-MEF] Vieques Digest for 1/2/01

[bieke@coqui.net]

Vieques Digest:

1.  Civil Disobedience will continue
2.  A Christmas Note from Camp Peace and Justice and Camp Luisa  Guadalupe
3.  Christmas Caravan for Peace vs. Navy in Vieques
4.  Viequenses prepare for new round of civil disobedience actions

#1.

Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques
P.O. Box 1424 Vieques, Puerto Rico  00765
Tel. (787) 741-0716 Email: bieke@coqui.net


20 December, 2000

Press Release

Viequenses firmly committed to continue civil disobedience

The threat of jail will not impede Viequenses  arrested for acts of civil
disobedience. "We are prepared to return to the restricted area  to block
the next Navy maneuvers," announced Vieques leader, Nilda Medina,  of the
Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques  (CRDV).

This past Tuesday evening, Viequenses arrested for  civil disobedience
actions met with the new president of the Puerto Rico Bar Association,
Jaime Ruberto, and reaffirmed their intention of blocking  the Navy`s
military exercises. RubertE9 declared that "the Bar Association  has an
absolute commitment to defend those Viequenses and all others who
participate in actions for Peace on Vieques."

Viequenses with cases pending before the Federal  Courts are members of the
Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques,  Women for Peace in
Vieques, Vieques Youth United, Vieques Veterans for Peace, as  well as
fisherman and businessmen. All expressed their commitment with the  defense
of the right to live in peace, the duty to guarantee the health and safety
of the children of Vieques and for the end to the US Navy presence on the
island.

Contact: Robert Rabin CRDV 787  741-0716l

#2.

Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques
P.O. Box  1424 Vieques, Puerto Rico 0076
787  741-0716 E mail: bieke@coqui.net


A Christmas Note from Camp Peace and Justice and Camp Luisa  Guadalupe

XMAS Day,  2000
Dear Friends in  Solidarity with the Cause of Vieques:


Warm greetings from Vieques. Today members of the Peace and Justice  Camp,
the Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques and a large group
of  citizens participated ina ceremony to bless the planting of coco palms
in the area where the military attempted last week to build a new road and
entrance to the base

About half a mile South of the main entrance to the bombing zone - Camp
Garcia -  and in the very spot where US Navy personnel las Thursday were
forced to stop a  road construction project, today we planted a couple
dozen palm trees as  symbols of life, our defense of Nature and in memory
of Luisa Guadalupe.

Father Nelson Lopez, Parish Priest of the Vieques Catholic Church, directed
the  ceremony that included reading of biblical passages allusive to
planting trees and the  blessing of each palm tree.

Tens of Viequenses  participating are among our people who have maintained
a 24 hour a day vigil to warn the  community the momento the military
attempt to resume work in this  space.

HAPPINESS IN  THE STRUGGLE FOR PEACE ON VIEQUES

R. Rabin, CRDV

#3.

Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques
P.O. Box 1424 Vieques, Puerto Rico 00765
(787) 741-0716 E mail: bieke@coqui.net

29 December, 2000

Press Release

Christmas Caravan for Peace vs. Navy in Vieques

On Saturday, December 30th, the Committee  for the Rescue and Development
of Vieques (CRDV) will hold a "parranda" for  peace, or a "pazrranda"
(parranda is a typical Puerto Rico Christmas caravan of  singers and
musicians who go from house to house), moving through Vieques barrios to
celebrate Christmas and to keep alive the spirit of struggle with the
threat of new military maneuvers in January.

The "Pazrranda" will begin at 6PM at the Peace and  Justice Camp in front
of the entrance to the Navy base of Camp Garcia and end up in  the same
place around 8PM with a huge party and protest. Viequense merchants will
roast two pigs for the fiesta in solidarity with the CRDV that directs the
struggle in this area during the past year and a half.

We will take the message of Christmas cheer to the neighborhoods and urge
our people to continue the struggle to end  military activities here,"
expressed Nilda Medina, one of the coordinators of the  Peace and Justice
Camp. "We will sing Christmas songs and songs of protest. We  will
celebrate this year of intense struggle as we prepare to continue our  work
to get the U.S. Navy out of Vieques," stated the Viequense leader.

Spokesmen for the CRDV talk of a series of civil  disobedience and protest
actions being planned with solidarity organizations on the  main island of
Puerto Rico and in the exterior, to take place during upcoming  Navy
exercises on the island municipality.

Contact: Robert Rabin, CRDV 787 741-0716

#4.

Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques
P.O. Box 1424 Vieques, Puerto Rico 00765
Tel. (787) 741-0716 E mail: bieke@coqui.net

1 January, 2001

Press Release

Spokespersons for the Committee for the Rescue and  Development of Vieques
(CRDV) informed that the Navy has placed in the Post Office  and other
public areas, a warning for fishermen and other operators of small boats
that military operations will take place from 1 until 4:00PM on the  2nd
and 3rd of January. The Navy will carry out preparations that generally
include open burning and open detonation of bombs and other  artifacts from
previous maneuvers for exercises announced for the second  half of this month.

The Viequenses reported that during New Years Eve,  members of the
community dismantled hundred of feet of the military fence at Camp  Garcia
to denounce the Navy's intentions of continued bombing. Brigades of
Viequenses took down large extensions of the perimeter fence that separates
the military  from the civilian area in the Eastern third of the island.

"This is an indication of things to come," signaled  Ismael Guadalupe, one
of the principal Viequense leaders. "This fence separates  us from our
patrimony, from the land where our parents and grandparents were  born. We
want to end the obstacles to our natural and healthy development. We  will
take back what by Natural Right belongs to us - our land, our right to live
 in Peace. Actions of Civil Disobedience will continue to block and
denounce the  next maneuvers," said Guadalupe.

Nilda Medina, another spokeswoman for the Vieques  struggle, made an urgent
call to persons who have not yet participated in civil disobedience acts,
indicating that this is the momento to make the  sacrifice to guarentee
Peace for Vieques. Medina suggested that those interested in participating
in the next incursions into the Navy's restricted  zone here should call
the CRDV at the Peace and Justice Camp at (787) 741-0716

Contacto: Robert Rabin 787 741-0716

exercises announced for the second half of this  month.

The Viequenses reported that during New Years Eve,  members of the
community dismantled hundred of feet of the military fence at Camp  Garcia
to denounce the Navy's intentions of continued bombing. Brigades of
Viequenses took down large extensions of the perimeter fence that separates
the military  from the civilian area in the Eastern third of the island.

"This is an indication of things to come," signaled  Ismael Guadalupe, one
of the principal Viequense leaders. "This fence separates  us from our
patrimony, from the land where our parents and grandparents were  born. We
want to end the obstacles to our natural and healthy development. We  will
take back what by Natural Right belongs to us - our land, our right to live
 in Peace. Actions of Civil Disobedience will continue to block and
denounce the  next maneuvers," said Guadalupe.

Nilda Medina, another spokeswoman for the Vieques  struggle, made an urgent
call to persons who have not yet participated in civil disobedience acts,
indicating that this is the momento to make the  sacrifice to guarentee
Peace for Vieques. Medina suggested that those interested in participating
in the next incursions into the Navy's restricted  zone here should call
the CRDV at the Peace and Justice Camp at (787) 741-0716

Contacto: Robert Rabin 787 741-0716

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