In the name of national defense the health and welfare of US citizens, children, women and men, is endangered in the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. Also, multiple laws to protect the environment are being broken. Toxic waste is being dumped in water surrounding Vieques and on land, disregarding the negative impact this will have in generations to come.
The United States Navy has conducted target practice with ammunition containing radioactive uranium. There are many pollutants in Vieques that are the direct result of the different explosives used, not to mention the noise pollution during the target practices. Of course the United States Navy insists that there is no correlation between the high incidence of cancer with the military exercises.
Yes, it is a grim picture. It is the systematic violation of the human rights of a group of US citizens, but at the mention of the phrase, "it is a matter of national security" everything then is supposed to be OK. We are supposed to comprehend and agree that, for the defense of some US citizens, other US citizens need to be slowly poisoned. National security has become a license to abuse anyone, including law abiding US citizens. What moral right does a government have to expose its citizens to cancer causing agents? What moral right does a democratic government have to force people to go against the will of the majority? There is no moral right to do these evils. What exists here is abuse of power.
Vieques is a beautiful tropical island, very suitable for the development of tourism, eco-tourism, fishing and other peaceful activities. All these possibilities are curtailed by the presence of the United States Navy. The Navy has been conducting exercises in Vieques since 1941. On April 19, 1999, Mr. David Sanes Rodríguez, a civilian guard employed by the Navy, was killed by bombs that missed the target. Since then, the strong consensus in Vieques and in Puerto Rico has been, " not one more shot, not one more bomb (ni un tiro mas, ni una bomba mas)".
The current administration of President Clinton has convinced Sr. Pedro Rosello, governor of Puerto Rico, to go against the will of the people of Puerto Rico and allow the resumption of the Navy's target practice and other type of military activities in Vieques. This broke the historical consensus. The agreement calls for a referendum one year after the resumption of the target practices. If the people are to be honestly consulted, why does the referendum not take place before the navy starts again the shelling of part of Vieques? The people will not be able to immediately and permanently stop the source of serious health and environmental problems. The situation in Vieques is one of government betrayal. The Puerto Rican and US governments are to protect and look after the well being of its citizens, as well as implement the expressed will of the majority. The opposite is what is taking place. The Puerto Rico colonial situation is being unmasked.
We, persons of faith, need to continue working for justice and peace. It is justice and peace that will bring prosperity to the people of Vieques, not the promises of politicians offering millions of dollars to the people for agreeing to continue being poisoned.
Raise your voice, stand in solidarity and demand:
1) to stop all military practices in Vieques immediately and permanently;
2) the decontamination of land and surrounding areas in Vieques;
3) the return of all land expropriated by the U.S. government in Vieques.
* The Rev. Germán Acevedo-Delgado is Assistant General Secretary for Connectional Relations in the Mission Contexts and Relationships program area, General Board of Global Ministries.