An Introduction to Vieques

I am here (and elsewhere) indebted to Daniel Vázquez, having borrowed liberally from his website at www.micronetix.net/Virus/facts.htm. Here, in his words, is Vieques in a nutshell:
Originally named Bieque by the pre-columbines Indians, the island of Vieques is located in the Caribbean to the East of the big island of Puerto Rico. It has a population of 9,400.

      Since 1938, the US Navy has been acquiring land in Vieques by expropriation. The Navy controls 26,000 of the Island's 33,000 acres. Located at the eastern and western sections of the island, the US Navy uses 75% percent of the Island's soil for war maneuvers, and bomb storage.

In April 19, 1999 two F-18 airplanes threw two bombs, 500 pounds each, outside their target area and killed David Sanes, a Vieques civilian, and injured other four, including one soldier. This event has once more rendered evident the danger that the presence of the US navy represents for the people of Vieques. Once more, the people from Vieques, from Puerto Rico in general, and all concerned citizens of the globe demand the immediate halt to any war practices and the eventual demilitarization of all the territory of Vieques. After the killing of Sanes, the opposition to the US Navy has reached a consensus, something very rarely in Puerto Rico social and political arena. All political parties and the government, as well as religious groups, had called for a halt on the military practices in Vieques' soil, over Viequenses' heads.

My Experience in Vieques
by Daniel A. Vázquez

          I just returned on December, 30 from the civil disobedience camps in Vieques island. There are no words to describe what I experienced. I left San Juan on the 29th of December around 7 a.m., after the one hour trip I arrived at Fajardo and took the 9 a.m. Ferry to Vieques. When taking the ferry I observed the people waiting in line to go to Vieques. A big portion of those taking the ferry carried tools, and supplies, such as water. They were bringing them to the civil disobedience camps. Many wore T-shirts referring to US Navy occupation of the island as abusive. There were people from all social classes in Puerto Rico, all united for one cause.

          The trip to Vieques took around one hour in the ferry. As we approached the island everyone started taking pictures of the coastline. The Navy topic, floated in the air. After arriving I followed the instructions I had been given and walked to a nearby dock where I found about 20 persons looking for fishermen who could take them to the Navy owned part of the island. So many people were waiting that I had to wait for two hours to find someone who had space for me in a boat.

          The 30 minutes trip from the dock in Isabel Segunda, the civilian part of Vieques, felt, as someone later described it to me, like entering a twilight zone. Suddenly all obvious signs of human life disappeared, this was followed, seconds later, by the fishermen saying that we already were inside the target zone. One of the hardest things is to believe that someone can pollute a place so beautiful. The beauty of Vieques, of its deserted beaches, huge cliffs and different shades of blue and green is incredible. Before long however, signs of the military presence were noticeable. Everywhere one looked there were gigantic chunks of torn and mangled metal, frequently on top of cliffs next to the sea. A few minutes later the infamouso bservation post, where David Sanes was killed earlier this year was visible from the sea.

          The civil disobedience camps are all on the eastern tip of the island within a radius of a few miles and can be reached, without major problems by foot. I spent my time there in the camp of the "Congreso Nacional Hostosiano." The time in the camps such as the one in which I stayed, is spent showing visitors the island. That day they had halted the construction of one of the permanent wooden dormitories and were awaiting the delivery of more wood. Our camp had latrines, and a few of the amenities of modern life powered by wind and solar power.

          I arrived there around 1 p.m. on the 29th and about an hour later a lawyer from New England, gave me my first tour of the island. After a few moments I saw my first bomb. It was in the middle of the road, strategically placed there, as I to scare you. I, as most first timers took pictures of the huge metal bullet which was about a foot and a half long and 8 inches thick. I later discovered that this was a small projectile. As walked the signs of the Navy presence became more frequent. Huge boulders randomly placed in the middle of roads, concrete slabs and metal pieces dispersed at random. My tour guide then showed me the "OP" (Observation Post) where the navy had its guards and warned me not to risk approaching it since only two days before there had been a small incident with a photographer.

          We then walked for a few minutes to another area full of old airplanes, trucks and artillery. Those old equipments had so many bullet holes that they looked like water filters. Bombs and all kinds of ammunition were everywhere. It was practically impossible to avoid stepping on the bombs, unfortunately one never knows if one of those bombs is still live.

          The bombing had changed the natural topography of the place. Everywhere there were small lakes, filled with water. In reality they were bomb craters. Fortunately in the few months protesters have impeded the bombing nature has returned. The green field in which I stood had an interesting peculiarity: there were no big trees, only small brush. The trees had not had time to grow. Those who had been there before recalled the total desolation that they had found only a few months ago. It was all a muddy desert, with no signs of life. We continued walking and taking pictures of all the small animals and birds that roamed the place. Minutes later we arrived to the southeastern shore of the island. To, what probably is the most beautiful beach I have ever seen in my life. There the Puerto Rican Independence party had its camp.

          Yet, the beauty of the white sand and the shades of light blue in the clear water, was misleading. The beach is in a place where depleted uranium bullets have been used. The sand and water are all polluted by high radiation levels.

          We then walked around the beach and went back to our home camp, always taking pictures and talking to the many people staying at the different beaches.

          I spent the rest of the afternoon and the evening exploring some of the grounds close to the camp where I was staying. And later talking to all the very interesting people camping there. (I would like to mention something. That night a boat approached the beach and started looking at us with huge spotlights. I never found out but they were probably from the Navy.)

          The next day after waking up, a few people took me to see "Monte David" one of the most polluted places in the whole island. Monte David is about 30 minutes away from "La escuelita", the camp where I was staying. The road that goes there is full of debris. However, the debris here was more impressive than the one I had seen the day before. Before long parachutes with cluster bombs, and five or 6 foot long bullets, the size of a medium person, were commonplace. Frequently one encounters small ponds that have been either altered or created by the bombing. The frequent explosions create huge holes that are then filled with water. If one looks closely, the holes are evidently too symmetric to be natural. They all have the same characteristics, and they were all created by the bombing.

          Around 10 a.m. we finally arrived to Monte David which sits on a high cliff in the coastline. The beauty of the island from that vantage point is ineffable. On top of the mountain there is a huge war tank that has been bombed with uranium and where the highest levels of contamination in the island are present. Next to the tank protesters have established a camp. The top of the mountain has very little vegetation, because of the destruction of the topsoil. The rocky earth is littered with war instruments everywhere one looks. Bombs are so common that the protesters used some of them as weights to hold their camping equipment in place.
There is more, and these are but samplings of the richness of Daniel's Website. I wanted to give you a taste, and I urge you to explore it thoroughly.



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