RESOLUTION PASSED IN SUPPORT
OF THE PEOPLE OF VIEQUES

t the September 25^th City Council meeting, a crucial Resolution was passed calling upon the United States Navy to vacate its training facility on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques and to cease and desist from violating the civil rights of the Puerto Rican people to peacefully assembly on Vieques.

At the beginning of the meeting Alan Hevesi and many members of the Spanish language press and media were present to hear the remarks of various people on this important occasion. They heard from the Resolution's prime sponsor, Councilwoman Margarita Lopez as well as Speaker Gifford Miller, Majority Leader Joel Rivera, Assemblyman Jose Rivera who was one of the "Vieques 4" jailed last summer for protesting the bombings, and City Clerk Victor Robles.

Speaker Miller led off by saying that as the country has had servicemen fighting abroad to protect our rights here at home, "It's critical that we stand up for those rights for all Americans and say that we continue to believe that the bombing of Vieques must stop and that the people of Vieques must be free from this oppression and from the violence of the bombings." He personally thanked former Council Members Jose Rivera and Victor Robles "for their leadership when they were in this body and for handing to us a legacy of commitment to this issue."

Margarita Lopez spoke about that fact that this problem in Vieques is not finished yet; as recently as last month the Navy was bombing there. "We are proud Americans who lost our lives fighting for this country, and we deserve to be treated equally," she said. "Vieques must be free of this threat."

Assemblyman Jose Rivera said that they are concerned that the Navy will use going to war with Iraq as an excuse to remain in Vieques. "I believe that the people of Vieques, for over 60 years, have made a tremendous contribution to the national defense, and they're entitled to the same peace, tranquility and the opportunity to live a better life that we're entitled to," he stated.

City Clerk and Clerk of the Council Victor Robles pointed out that the City Council was the first elected body to ever hold hearings on the island of Vieques. He continued, "I resent it when people say we Puerto Ricans are anti-American. Go to the Pentagon and see who has the largest number of Congressional Medals of Honor. They happen to be Hispanics and they’re from Puerto Rico. This is not anti-American; on the contrary. This is what our constitution guarantees American citizens."

Let us hope that this Resolution will succeed, and the Navy bombing of Vieques will end - permanently.

Donna Lamb can be reached at dlamb@gis.net.