Some still in jail
Vieques protesters disrupt U.S. Navy exercises
By Berta
Joubert-Ceci
Activists in Vieques, Puerto Rico, have once again disrupted
the Pentagon's war exercises. Bombing drills scheduled for the
weekend of April 27-29 were delayed and then canceled for one
day. Bombing practice resumed with interruptions until May 1,
when the Enterprise battle group finally left, heading for the
Persian Gulf.
Many activists risked their lives trying to stop the U.S.
Navy's maneuvers. On several occasions the bombing went ahead
despite the presence of demonstrators in the live impact area.
Such was the case of the group headed by Ismael Guadalupe,
leader of the Committee for the Rescue and Development of
Vieques.
Guadalupe has been in federal prison since the arrest of his
group on April 28.
Kathy Gannett, a U.S. activist who was part of the group,
described the circumstances leading up to the arrests in a
letter circulated on the Internet: "On Wednesday evening, two
fishermen carried our group of six to Playa Blanca, a beach on
the northeast coast of Vieques close to the live impact area.
We camped near the beach until Saturday morning, hiding under
dwarf trees from the Navy helicopters and police boats, which
passed by frequently.
"Twice contingents from our group traveled into the live
impact area, once to send up a flare close to the Navy's
observation tower and once to hang in the road a huge banner
made from a bed sheet--both excursions were to prove our
presence to the Navy in order to stop the bombing."
Close to 180 protesters have been arrested for entering the
restricted bombing area either by land or by sea. People from
all walks of life have been taken into custody: workers,
students, artists, lawyers, politicians, well-known figures
from both Puerto Rico and the U.S.
Luis Gutiérrez, a Puerto Rican member of the U.S.
House of Representatives from Illinois, was handcuffed,
severely beaten and kicked in the head by military police.
Bail of up to $10,000 was imposed on many activists. Lawyers
describe the bail as "excessive and unfair."
14 remain in jail, including Ismael Guadalupe
Most have been released after posting bail, but 14 remain
jailed. Among them are Rubén Berríos, president
of the Puerto Rican Independence Party; four students from the
University Federation for Puerto Rican Independence; Tito Kayak
(Alberto de Jesús), well-known for his risk-taking
actions on behalf of Vieques; and Ismael Guadalupe.
Guadalupe is the only resident of Vieques still in jail. His
bail has been denied, generating extreme outrage and concern.
Guadalupe, an independentista, refuses to recognize U.S.
jurisdiction in Puerto Rico and is a central figure in the
Vieques struggle. He has been arrested several times before. In
1979, after similar actions against the U.S. Navy, he was
transferred to a Pennsylvania federal prison where he served a
total of six months.
His family is trying to keep activists aware of his
situation. They write that "Even though he suffers from kidney
problems due to mercury [poisoning], he is well and in good
spirits. As in 1979, today he maintains the same level of
integrity and dignity with his actions.
"He will not stop his life-long struggle against the Navy's
abusive occupation and the federal court which supports the
military. Once again, Ismael's only offense is to walk on the
land where he was born."
Guadalupe's health problems are believed linked to the toxic
chemicals the Navy has introduced into Vieques.
It is not a coincidence that the majority of the activists
who remain imprisoned are well-known for their belief in and
struggle for independence.
Aureo E. Rivera shared jail space with Guadalupe and wrote a
moving letter circulated through the Internet. He wrote,
"Ismael is a natural leader, and was one of the most respected
by the other political prisoners.... He was very saddened to
hear that some criticized those who broke the fence of Camp
García. Ismael considers that fence as a symbol of
oppression, so offensive to the Viequenses.
"The symbols of oppression must be torn down wherever they
are, and as in the Bastille in France, the people should not be
criticized, but encouraged when there is enough courage to tear
them down. Ismael feels very proud of those who were courageous
enough to cut and break the Camp García fence," Rivera
continued.
"Ismael explained to me that the struggle in Vieques
includes all sectors, from the most timid to the most daring,
and that they all have their space and are necessary. However,
if the most daring do not criticize the most timid and respect
and support their tactics, he asks equally to those to respect
the methods of the less timid."
Those who wish to send messages to Guadalupe can write to:
Ismael Guada lupe Ortiz, #19520-069, M.D.C., P.O. Box 2147, San
Juan, Puerto Rico 00922-2147.
The issue of perceived violence is talked about a great deal
in the struggle to oust the U.S. Navy from Vieques. Those who
insist on peaceful action sometimes criticize the most
militant. In the meantime the real violence--coming from the
U.S. ruling class and government and its institutions like the
Navy and the federal courts--grows against everybody who dares
challenge it, whether by pacifist or militant actions.
In Puerto Rico this has produced several incidents of rage
against the U.S. military. The U.S. Army recruiting office in
the northwestern city of Aguadilla received a bomb threat last
week. And someone wrote "Vieques sí, Marina no"--
Vieques yes, Navy no--on the front wall.
In the south, in Ponce, a Molotov cocktail exploded and
partially burned the front door of the National Guard
recruiting office. In Arecibo, a homemade bomb inside a shoebox
was found in front of the federal post office.
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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