Vieques Residents Plan U.S. Base Protest

Weekly News Update on the Americas, Week of June 14-20, 1998

The residents of the Puerto Rican island of Vieques say their home is contaminated as a result of the constant bombing done by the U.S. Marines who use it for practice.

The Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques is preparing a massive protest because of the great number of people on the island who have been diagnosed with cancer. Over 20 organizations are supporting the protest, called "Our Peace," scheduled for July 4, observed in the U.S. as Independence Day.

Puerto Rican congressional spokesman Hector Pesquera said the protesters may attempt to enter the land used by the Marines, which is out of bounds for civilians.

Vieques is bombed by the U.S. Marines for more than 200 days each year. It has been used for a century as a military base for the U.S. and as a center for chemical experiments, particularly by the military. As a result, cancer cases have increased because of the hydrocarbons, lead and dynamite contained in the bombs. According to a study by the U.S. National Cancer Regsitry, Vieques has a 26 per cent higher rate of cancer than the main island. The study shows that before the 1960s the rate of cancer on Vieques was much lower than that of the main island.

In Puerto Rico over 1,000 cases pertaining to the enviromental affects of the military installations on Vieques and in Ceiba are being processed. (Agencia Informativa Amarc Pulsar, 6/12/98)