[CPEO-MEF] Vieques Digest 7/31/01

[bieke@coqui.net]

1)  Statement of the CRDV at March for Peace in Vieques, Washington D.C.

2)Urgent Call for Civil Disobedience

3) Urgent call for civil disobedience in Vieques

4) Boulder man completes 20-day sentence in Boulder "half-way house" for
trespassing on bombing range in Vieques, Puerto Rico.

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Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques
Box 1424 Vieques, Puerto Rico 00765 (787) 741-0716 Fax (787) 741-0358
email: bieke@coqui.net website: www.viequeslibre.org

Thursday July 19, 2001
Vieques, Puerto Rico

Statement of the CRDV at March for Peace in Vieques, Washington D.C.

The Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques (CRDV), the=
 leading
Vieques-based civic organization, called today's March for Peace in=
 Vieques
in Washington, DC "an admirable showing of the broad-based support that=
 this
peaceful and just movement has gained."

Robert Rabin, spokesman for the CRDV in Vieques, said: "We in Vieques wish=
 to
express our gratitude to those brothers and sisters who marched today in
Washington, DC to tell President Bush and the public at large that the=
 Navy
must stop bombing and must leave Vieques, not a year from now, not two=
 years
from now, but immediately. 60 years of suffering is too much."

Rabin added: "We thank the various labor, civic, community and religious
leaders, as well as the Members of Congress and many others, who walked=
 the
streets of DC today in order to raise awareness of the injustice suffered=
 by
the people of Vieques at the hands of the Navy, and of the inhumane=
 treatment
and excessive punishment suffered by those who have peacefully defended=
 our
land and our people against further destruction. This showing of love,=
 peace
and unity transcends race, color or nationality and is our strongest=
 weapon
in the struggle for peace against the military might that has been imposed=
 on
the people of Vieques."

Flavio Cumpiano, attorney and Washington Representative for the CRDV,=
 stated:
"The Navy's damage and destruction to human health, to the environment, to
the flora and fauna, and to the economy of Vieques and its people, must=
 cease
immediately and permanently. Since the demand has always been that onb=
 more
day of bombing is unacceptable, allowing for one or two more years of=
 bombing
with other organizations- for the people of Vieques to vote for option #2
(the immediate and permanent cease and desist of all military activities=
 in
Vieques; the immediate withdrawal of the Navy, and the decontamination and
return of the land to Vieques) in the July 29 referendum called for by the
Government of Puerto Rico. At the same time, Rabin said that the CRDV and
others are preparing themselves to participate in civil disobedience in=
 order
to stop further bombing in Vieques should the Navy decide to try to bomb
Vieques again. "We will defeat the Navy in the referendum and we will
continue to defend our land if the Navy fails to respect our democratic
will", Rabin added.


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20 July, 2001


Urgent Call for Civil Disobedience


The US Navy announced the resumption of bombing on 1 August. In April and=
 June,
close to three hundred people were arrested during civil disobedience=
 actions
that paralized military activities. In June, the Navy was only able to drop=
 17%
of the bombs they planned to drop on Vieques.


We are preparing again to defend peace on Vieques through civil disobedience
actions in the Navy=3DB4s restricted zones. We appeal to civic, cultural,
student, feminist, labor, political, religious organizations and other=
 sectors
of our society to participate in these next "exercises for peace on our Baby
Island".


Call us at the Peace and Justice Camp to add your name to the long list of
defenders of Peace on Vieques, Peace for Puerto Rico, peace for the world:


(787) 741-0716
(787) 741-0358
(787) 375-0525
It is very important that you participate first in one of the civil
disobedience workshops offered on the Main Island. For more info about the
workshops contact:


Jorge Col=3DF3n 640-7694=20
Josefina Pantoja 374-8348=20
Luz Nereida P=3DE9rez 760-9371


!!DEMILITARIZATION=3D20
DECONTAMINATION!!
!!RETURN OF LANDS AHORA!!
DEVELOPMENT!!

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Urgent call for civil disobedience in Vieques

The Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques (CRDV) put out an
urgent call for participation in civil disobedience actions to take place
during military exercises to begin in Vieques next Thursday, August second,
according to US Navy officials.
Spokespersons for the CRDV denounced Navy plans to carry out very dangerous
maneuvers just days after an overwhelming majority of Viequenses voted in a
referendum in favor of the immediate and permanent cessation of all military
activity.
According to the Commissioner for Vieques, Dr. Juan Fern=E1ndez, the Navy=
 plans
to bomb the island from ships, jets and with artillery beginning Thursday,
despite the enormous support in the recent referendum for the number two
option, calling for an end to the military presence here. One thousand=
 sailors
and marines will participate in amphibious landing practices and night
operations, inlcuding the use of vehicles equiped with infrared night=
 vision,
creating greater danger for civil disobedients in the restricted zone during
maneuvers.
"The decision to continue with these exercises against the expressed will of
the people violates the most basic principals of democracy," according to
Robert Rabin, spokesman for the CRDV. "We are witnessing in Vieques a=
 military
dictatorship, where US Navy officials have more power than the Governor of
Puerto Rico, the Mayor of Vieques and where the Navy tramples on the=
 concepts
of liberty and self determination," said Rabin.=20
The Viequenses exhorted those interested in signing up for the next civil
disobedience actions to call the CRDV at the Peace and Justice Camp in
Vieques,787 741-0716 or 741-0358.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE=20

Contact: Dick or Gretchen Williams, 303-245-0015=20
or Christian Peacemaker Teams, 312-455-1199

Boulder man completes 20-day sentence in Boulder "half-way house" for
trespassing on bombing range in Vieques, Puerto Rico.


Brian Ladd, 32, of Boulder, CO will be released Monday morning, July 30,=
 2001,
from nighttime detention after serving 20 nights as part of the sentence=
 handed
down by a magistrate in San Juan, Puerto Rico Federal court. Ladd and 3=
 other
members of the violence reduction team, Christian Peacemaker Teams, were
arrested after crawling through a hole in the fence surrounding the bombing
range on May 2, 2001, and praying for an end to the violence to the people=
 and
the land.
Ladd went to Vieques as part of an 8-person Christian Peacemaker Teams
emergency delegation to support those of Vieques who wish for the Navy to=
 end
the more than 6 decades of bombing the land.
During the period of his nighttime confinement, Ladd has continued to work=
 at
his job at EcoCycle during the day, having to return every evening for the=
 20
days of his sentence. In addition, Ladd will perform 100 hours of community
service and 1 year's probation.
Upon his release, Ladd will be available for interview to answer questions=
 or
discuss the situation in Vieques.=20
Ladd's release comes a day after a referendum in which residents of Vieques
voted overwhelmingly that the Navy leave the island immediately.
Several delegations of the CPR, in coordination with the Committee for the
Rescue and Development of Vieques and the Caribbean Project for Peace and
Justice have participated in the civil disobedience campaign here, designed=
 to
block US Navy maneuvers.
Claire Evans=20
Administrative Coordinator=20
Christian Peacemaker Teams=20
PO Box 6508=20
Chicago, IL 60680=20
Tel: 312-455-1199; Fax: 312-432-1213
Christian Peacemaker Teams is an initiative among Mennonite and Church of=20
the Brethren congregations and Friends Meetings that supports violence=20
reduction efforts around the world.

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