Puerto Rico Delegation Report

From January 25-February 4, 2001, 27 people were part of a CPT delegation to the island of Vieques. It was a time of learning, seeing and listening. Listening to the voices of Viequenses who have long opposed the presence of the Navy on their island. One of those voices was Carlos Zenon, long-time activist and fisherman on the island of Vieques, who offered these words about the Navy, "They lie so much that when they tell the truth they have to apologize."

We heard some of those lies first-hand when we visited Roosevelt Roads Naval Base the day after we arrived in Puerto Rico. We were scheduled to hear them from some higher ranking officers on the Roosevelt Roads base, but when we arrived at the gate we were not allowed inside. Frank Worley, one of the public relations officers, spoke to us instead and told us those lies. In a spirited discussion on the grounds outside the gate he offered us a graph which proved that the cancer rate on the island of Vieques is not any higher than on the main island of Puerto Rico . . . that there is no evidence of any health problems on Vieques. He also stated that he knew "for a fact" that protestors on Vieques have thrown cinder blocks, lead fishing weights, and rocks at Navy vehicles as well as scattered nails on streets to pop tires on Navy vehicles. He answered questions about the "clean-up" that the Navy supposedly does after each bombing, by stating that the Navy picks up all visible armaments and bombs. He did admit that the Navy dropped 263 bombs with depleted uranium (DU) warheads "by accident" in 1999 and has recovered 100 of them. But he quickly added that there is no evidence of "DU" contamination on Vieques. Worley was personable, articulate and "slick". Mouthing the Navy line, he chose which questions he wanted to answer and refused to answer others. Carlos Vazquez, our host on the island of Puerto Rico and a native of Vieques, listened to Worley for a few minutes before he left because he couldnít stand the double speak. It became obvious to us that we were something of a threat to Worley and the Navy. We also realized that perhaps the only way we were ever going to get onto the base at Roosevelt Roads was to be arrested. For seven of us, that proved to be true.

We returned to Roosevelt Roads Naval Base on Thursday of the next week, February 1. Twenty-seven CPTer's in their red caps emerged from vehicles in the parking lot and marched to the gate of the base. At that point seven people - Jim Clune, Anne Herman, Brian Ladd, JoAnne Lingle, Lisa Martens, Steve Ratzlaff and Brian Terrell - crossed into the base, unfurled a banner demanding that the Navy get out of Vieques, prayed and sang songs. The remaining 20 CPTer's gathered at the gate and sang songs of support until they were asked to leave the area. After a bit of confusion and some difficulty getting the gate closed, the Roosevelt Roads Seven were searched twice and handcuffed. We were then loaded onto a white school bus and taken to a holding area several miles away. After being uncuffed, searched again, we were led into two grassy areas (one for males, one for females) surrounded by chain link fence, with a tent set up in the middle of each area. Shortly afterward a local EMT squad came to see if any of us needed medical attention. Water and a lunch of spaghetti and fruit followed. Four hours later each of us was taken separately to be served a letter, banning us from the Roosevelt Roads base "forever and ever, amen," after which we were released. The local police chief from nearby Ceiba met us outside and escorted us to the police station where we were free to go. The whole experience was a bit surreal. The Navy personnel treated us in a disgustingly nice manner, as though they were training for future such happenings (perhaps in March when the bombing is to resume in Vieques), even asking us as we left to say something nice about them. As if treating some of us nicely on a sunny afternoon in February, 2001, could somehow make people forget about 60 years of bombing on the island of Vieques.

The press conference the next day in Old San Juan emphasized that the Navy must get out of Vieques now. The Navy has ruined the lives of nearly 10,000 people on the small island of Vieques. The only answer to 6 decades of bombing, contamination and intimidation was for the Navy to leave . . . to leave Vieques NOW, not after three years and a $90,000,000 bribe, but NOW! However, not only to leave, but to clean up after itself . . . to make Vieques safe once again for children to play, for farmers to grow crops, for parents to raise families and for fishermen to fish in unpolluted waters.

Sandwiched between our two visits to Roosevelt Roads were five days that we spent on the "little girl" island of Vieques . . . by far the most informative and meaningful time of our trip. While it is true that Vieques is a beautiful island filled with Navy midshipmen and an ungodly amount of bombs, it is also home to many dedicated Viequenses who have spent their lives trying to get rid of the Navy.

Robert Rabin, a native of Massachusetts who has lived on Vieques for the past 20 years, and his wife, Nilda Medina, a native Viequense, are two such people. They are the coordinators of the Justice and Peace Camp located just across the street from the gate to Camp Garcia, which has become the base of operations for those who are working to get the Navy out of Vieques. Robert and Nilda are also part of the Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques which is actively working on developing a plan for Vieques after the Navy leaves. During our meeting with Robert and Nilda we were made aware of the history of the struggle on Vieques. It began in the early 1940's when the Navy said they needed Vieques in order to train to meet the forces of Adolf Hitler. Initially, the people of Vieques were willing to be part of that support for WWII, but then the Navy began to appropriate their homes and move them to areas in the central part of the island. Since the Navy has been there ever since, bombing this small island, many of them have come to believe that, for them, WWII never really ended.

Over the years as the contamination increased and the environment deteriorated, many people on the island realized that they had to do something. Then in July of 1999, two stray bombs from a Navy ship hit an observation post and killed a civilian guard, David Sanes, on the edge of the bombing zone. This event galvanized opposition to the Navy. On December 3, 1999, a group of Viequenses blockaded the gate to Camp Carcia and kept military vehicles from passing through until May 4, 2000. The gate was chained shut. When federal marshalls showed up to cut the chains at 6 a.m., 300-400 Viequenses showed up with more chains. By afternoon there were 900 people there and the marshalls disappeared. For several weeks afterward 500 people showed up every night to picket and provide support. On May 4, the Navy arrested nearly 200 people and reopened the gate. The Governor of Puerto Rico then stationed Puerto Rico's riot police at the gate to make sure protesters would not close it again. A few months later when the Navy began bulldozing an area south of the Camp Garcia gate, in order to open another gate, the people of Vieques showed up there and started a vigil that continues to this day. The struggle on Vieques has brought together many divergent groups who have been able to maintain a nonviolent presence in the face of a formidable foe. They are adamant about the fact that the Navy must leave, not just stop the bombing. Clean-up of the contaminated areas is also a necessary part of their going.

Carlos Zenon is a fisherman who has spent his whole life fighting to get the Navy out of Vieques. He still remembers the day that his mother and his two siblings were moved out of their home by the Navy. Carlos' mother watched her house get bulldozed. They were moved to the Santa Maria tract, on the northern end of the island. Carlos also remembers the days when AWOL sailors would attack and rape the women of Vieques. Sometimes he and his mother, while walking back to their house, would have to run into the bushes to avoid these sailors. When he was 13, he decided he had to do something about this. He got a group of 25 other youth from Vieques and they fought the sailors every week. He said that he spent a lot of time before the judge in those days. He even would sneak on the Navy base and flatten tires on trucks.

As a fisherman, his way of life has been threatened by the Navy bombardment of Vieques. Not only do the deteriorated bombs contaminate the water he fishes in, navy ships destroy lobster traps that the fishermen use to fish with. In 1976, the USS Dewey destroyed 131 such traps in one night. This went on for years. The fishermen took the Navy to court for destroying their traps. The judge transferred the case to Norfolk, VA, thinking that none of the fishermen would show. Carlos did. The judge there was outraged that this kind of tactic was tried. He awarded $23,000 to the fishermen.

In 1978, the Navy stated that they were going to bomb 24 hours a day for 28 days. Fishermen could not fish during that time. Carlos got the Fisherman's Association together to see what they could do. They appealed to the commander at Roosevelt Roads about how it would ruin their livelihood. The commander suggested that they use food stamps to stay alive during that time. The Fisherman's Association then decided to try to blockade the Navy ships. 40 fisherman volunteered to take their boats out the next morning and placed them between the bombing area and the Navy destroyers. They used ropes with chains to stop the propellers of the ships. It worked. The bombing was postponed.

Since then Carlos has spent a lot of time in the impact zone with his sons and other Viequenses, trying to keep the bombing from happening. He says that if the Navy tries to bomb again in March that they will be back there, having already set up 6 secret camps in the impact zone in preparation for such an event. Religious leaders from Puerto Rico, women from Vieques, and other groups have joined with the Viequenses in occupying the impact zone during bombing exercises. Carlos says that this will not stop until the Navy is gone.

In a meeting with Vieques Vice-Mayor Henry Gonzales and Luis Davila, a consultant to the mayor, we were made aware that local political leaders are also working against the Navy. Damaso Serrano, the mayor of Vieques, was elected by nearly a 70% vote in the last election. He ran on a platform that included an end to the Navy presence on the island. We heard the elected officials speak about how little contact they have with the Navy. The Navy uses Vieques' roads and recently has begun a "good neighbor policy" by offering more jobs to locals

. . . but it is too little too late. They are only trying to buy votes for the Navy's referendum scheduled for November. Most feel that a referendum is not necessary. Gonzales said, "People here don't believe there needs to be a new referendum, they want the Navy to cease their operations immediately . . . and just get out." They should leave now but if that isn't possible, most Viequenses would choose the 3-year option which means the Navy would leave in 3 years. The millions of dollars that the Navy is offering to the local populace is seen as a bribe for their vote in the upcoming referendum.

Gonzales and Davila acknowledged that there are potential health problems for people on the island. There are ongoing studies being conducted at this point which will then be used to show the extent of the contamination and risk to the people of Vieques. They made it clear to us that they are US citizens and are not against the US or the Navy per se. They just feel it is time for the Navy to get out of Vieques - NOW - they should not stay even for two more years. Their closing words to us were to go back home to our Congressional representatives and tell them to get the Navy out of Vieques.

One of the more inspirational presentations came from several Viequense women, Miriam Soba, Rev. Lucy Rosario and Christina Vazquez. Miriam, a school teacher and member of the Alliance of Women of Vieques, described the involvement of women in the struggle in Vieques. Officially the Alliance began in 1999 after the death of David Sanes, but women have been involved since 1975. She was very outspoken about the lies that the Navy has been telling regarding the level of contamination. She said: "The Navy are liars: their denial about cancer rates, about contamination, it is all lies . . . there is extreme contamination on this island, fish are contaminated, the land is contaminated, so what do we have left?"

Women have been involved in civil disobedience, have worked at developing a health center, and the Alliance has erected a house which helps organize community education programs for women. Soba also pointed out how the men of Vieques have learned to respect the women. . . "men who have been in this struggle for many years have come to discover that women have a very strong voice"

Lucy Rosario, a Methodist minister and activist, spoke about the opposition she has felt from some people in her church who are ashamed that she is working with the Justice and Peace Camp. Even though the Methodist Social Principles encourage churches to become involved in the issues of peace and justice, some in her congregation are trying to thwart her efforts for justice on Vieques. Perhaps they are pro-Navy sympathizers or perhaps they don't feel the church should be involved in such issues. Whatever, they have made her life difficult. It hasn't stopped her, however, she was arrested in May, 1999, when the Navy reopened the Camp Garcia gate. She expressed gratitude for visits from groups like CPT because of the encouragement it gives them to continue the struggle.

Christina Vazquez, along with her husband, Carlos, were our hosts in San Juan. They opened their home there to us and did everything to make us as comfortable as possible. They are both native Viequenses and have long been part of the struggle to get the Navy out. Christina spoke about her experiences as a child when the Navy sailors tried to break into her family's house intent on having sex with the women inside. She remembered how her mother used a machete to ward them off. She also remembered other times when she was walking home from school and had to run into the bushes to hide from sailors. She has been actively involved in education and healthcare on the island. Health problems have struck her family particularly hard . . . her father-in-law died of leukemia, her mother-in-law died of cancer, one of her sons had cancer, her daughter suffered from fiberacoustic disease, and another daughter has had serious heart problems. She is appalled that the Navy won't accept the health studies that have been done as proof of the contamination that they have inflicted on the island of Vieques. It is so obvious.

Gordon Rumore is a US Public Health nurse who came to the Caribbean to retire. While lying on a beach in southern Vieques the Navy began bombing. After watching plumes of dust rise 1000 feet into the air after each bomb hit the target area on the eastern end of Vieques, he realized how destructive the continued bombing could be on this small island. He began to investigate and has since moved to Vieques to work on the health and environmental issues that the continued bombing has presented for Vieques. Given the toxicity and the prevailing easterly winds, it was obvious to Gordon that this was a severe problem for the people of Vieques. He has petitioned the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) for a review of this toxicity and three studies have been started - one on ground water, air polution and seafood contamination.

Some of his findings indicate that toxic metals, such as lead, have been found in fruits and vegetables on Vieques. He is trying to get the Center for Disease Control to do a study which would measure amounts of lead in the children of Vieques. Children, according to Rumore, are at greater risk for lead poisoning than others in the island. It would only cost about $8 per child to do the study. After 2 years, not one child on Vieques has been tested. In his work he has been opposed by the Navy at almost every turn. The Navy has attempted to stifle information to prove there is actual contamination on the island. But Rumore continues on because he strongly believes that what the Navy is doing on Vieques is wrong, that there is great risk for the population because of long-term toxic contamination of the island. He says that "my favorite uncle [Uncle Sam] has gone berserk and is killing people. My entire life has prepared me for what I'm doing here on Vieques. That is why I stay."

Some of us had an opportunity (maybe that's not the right word) to meet with the pro-Navy supporters on the island. Only ten of us could go so that there would not be more of us than them. So ten of us went. It turned out that there were 14 of the pro-Navy supporters at Luis Sanchez' house. It was a tense meeting with Luis Sanchez taking up nearly a half hour to give his views. It was a stilted, rather tense meeting where very little productive interaction took place. The ten CPTer's were happy to get back to the Justice and Peace Camp.

Ismael Guadeloupe is a long-time activist on Vieques. Like Carlos Zenon, he began his battle against the Navy when he was young, fighting with the sailors. He has become one of the leaders of the opposition of the Navy on the island. He has been instrumental in eliciting support for the struggle in international circles. He has visited Okinawa and has met with leaders from Korea on Vieques. While we were in Vieques, two women from Hawaii were visiting to learn more of the struggle. Venezuela, Holland and Argentina have thrown their support behind the Viequenses as well. In fact, Vieques and Okinawa have agreed to a joint day of cooperation when they will both celebrate their struggles to get the Navy off their respective islands.

Ismael said that until recently the struggle on Vieques had only been a political one. However, religious and economic groups have also joined in. In Puerto Rico last year, nearly 200,000 people were marching for peace in Vieques. The new Governor of Puerto Rico was elected primarily on a pledge to assist in getting the Navy out of Vieques. She has also pledged to take the riot police out of Vieques as well as offered $50 million to counter the Navy's $90 million bribe.

Ismael responded to a claim by pro-Navy supporters, who want the Navy to stay because they claim they bring jobs to the island, saying that the Navy presently provides 200 jobs for Viequenses. He said that until recently there had been less than a 100 Viequenses working for the Navy and most of those jobs were minimum wage. Recently the Navy has begun its "good neighbor policy" and has begun to hire more locals. It is an attempt to get people to vote for the referendum. Ismael was skeptical that it will win over many people. It is too little too late. Pro-Navy supporters also claimed that they have nearly 3000 people on their side, to which Ismael responded: "The worst kind of fool is one who fools himself." There is little evidence to indicate that the Navy has much support at all. There are reports that the Navy does have nearly $88 million and six full-time officers at their disposal (in addition to the $90 million bribe) to attempt to win the hearts and minds of the people of Vieques. Ismael didn't seem too worried about such opposition. If the bombing continues, there will be hundreds of Viequenses out there in the bombing zone. Any amount of money will not change that.

We did have an opportunity to interact with Juan Fernandez, Gov. Sila Calderon's aide on Vieques. A former Chancellor of the University of Puerto Rico, he provided us with a different perspective on the Vieques struggle. He pointed to a Memo of Understanding that was signed by both the US Navy and the Puerto Rican government in 1983. In it the Navy recognized its obligation to be a good neighbor to the people of Vieques in both economic and political terms. But there have been many violations of the Memo. The Navy has not allowed economic activity flourish on Vieques and they have not allowed Vieques to use the Navy's airport as agreed.

Fernandez also acknowledged that the Puerto Rican government had failed in its responsibility to hold the Navy accountable to its agreements. It has been neglected for several decades. But, the new governor has committed Puerto Rico to be a better supporter of the people of Vieques. She is committed to stopping the bombing and getting the Navy out of Vieques as well as to hold the Navy accountable to clean up after itself. The governor also has indicated that if the Navy initiated new bombing exercises on Vieques, she would withdraw the riot police which the Navy feels is necessary to protect them from the Viequenses. Juan Fernandez also indicated that new guidelines for the development of Vieques will be issued by the governor in a month or so. It is hoped that Vieques can become a model of how to reclaim lands that have been contaminated by the Navy.

While we were on Vieques we also initiated several other smaller actions to help support and draw attention to the struggle.

• A penny poll was conducted at the high school in Isabel Segunda to determine how the youth felt about the presence of the Navy. In a rather spirited, and at times raucous display of feeling and opinion, the young people of Vieques voted nearly 4-1 to get rid of the Navy. At times, some of the youth were fighting among themselves and some were trying to influence other's votes. We could have used more CPTer's, translaters and a banner that better explained our purpose.
• Another group took a radiation-reading device and went up into the Mount Carmello area to see if they could find detectable traces of contamination up there. No strong readings were found.
• A Rapid Deployment Prayer Team held a couple of prayer vigils - one at the plaza in Isabel Segunda complete with songs and moments of prayer . . . and another in front of the gate at Camp Garcia. There was some tension as we prayed at the gate. The riot police were agitated that we were potentially blocking traffic but we were able to pray for several minutes, praying a long-distance exorcism of the bombing area.
• We also held a "bomb voyage" party at the ferry terminal when we left Vieques. We handed out cookies and bookmarks calling for the Navy to leave. People coming off the ferry were not as receptive as we would have hoped. Better banners might have helped.

There were some times of recreation and sightseeing as well. Most of us will not forget the visit to the bioluminscent bay where movement in the water created darts of light. Swimmers looked like angels and fish produced laser-like movements . . . a natural phenomenon that we understand occurs only there and two other places in the Caribbean. We also spent some time wandering around the narrow streets of old San Juan with its historic forts and colorful buildings.

We cannot also forget the tireless efforts of Wanda Colon, who helped to give us an overview of Vieques and the problems there. She was also instrumental in arranging our press conference. Noteworthy also was the meeting we had with members of the Mennonite and Church of the Brethren churches in Puerto Rico. Neither of these denominations has been very involved in the Vieques struggle, although two Mennonites did join us on Vieques for a couple of days. It is hoped that our discussions may have brought this issue more to the forefront in these congregations.

We left Vieques with a greater understanding of the struggle of the people there . . . with a greater resolve to help strengthen their cause here in North America . . . with a sense of being part of the problem in our acquiesence to idolatrous military spending in the US. We are encouraged by the courage and commitment of the people of Vieques. We are challenged to think seriously about what are the next steps for CPT in Vieques. And some of us are open to being part of the struggle when the bombing begins again. We strive not to be just "a flash in the pan," but that we might continue to be part of the solution.