BY AMANDA ULMAN AND RUTH MACHADO

FAJARDO, Puerto Rico - Defying rain and flash flood warnings, more than 200,000 people converged on this small town to attend one of four demonstrations set to coincide with the annual convention of the National Governors Association (NGA).

"We came to defend our nation," explained Ocasio Morales, a social worker from Juncos.

"We are Puerto Rican, of one nationality," Lope de Ponce affirmed. They were among between 80,000 and 100,000 participants at "La Nación en Marcha" (The Nation Marching) demonstration, called as a show of force in opposition to Puerto Rico's ruling Governor Pedro Rissole's stance in support of statehood for Puerto Rico. Last November Rosselló' stated to the press that Puerto Rico "is not and has never been a nation." Many at the march cited this and stated they were there to prove the opposite.

The Nacion En Marcha was organized by the Popular Democratic Party (PPD), as well as many pro-independence forces. The PPD, one of the major capitalist parties on the island, supports the current status of Puerto Rico as a U.S. commonwealth. While many at the march supported independence, organizers of the event discouraged signs and slogans reflecting pro-independence sentiments.

The PPDs candidate for governor in the November elections, Héctor Luis Acevedo, was among those who led the march.

Ricardo Alegría, a well known cultural anthropologist and one of the main organizers of the march, told the demonstrators that by participating in this march, "we accept that we maintain ideological and political differences, but we are united by our love of Puerto Rico, which we accept as our nation."

"The current government of Rosselló' has tried by every means to bring statehood," Martín Alvarado Martínez, 72, of Carolina commented.

"The march is a response." Martínez says that the Puerto Rican people have rejected independence in part because, "Puerto Ricans with U.S. citizenship believe they have an advantage" to travel freely and work in the United States.

"Even some of my pro-statehood friends came to the march," Pablo Burgos told the Puerto Rican daily El Nuevo Día, "since it has nothing to do with independence but with being Puerto Rican."

"We don't want statehood," Crysaida Rodríguez, 16, of Caguas told the Militant. She attended the march to show support for the PPD candidate of Caguas. Rodríguez also said she supported independence.

"At this march we are letting the governors [at the NGA] know that we defend our identity," 18-year-old Loira Acosta said. "We defend our Puerto Rican identity with the Puerto Rican flag, and no other flag."

This sentiment was not shared by a similar number of counter demonstrators at the pro-statehood "Reaffirmation of Citizenship" rally sponsored by the other main capitalist party, the New Progressive Party (PNP). Marchers displayed banners portraying both the U.S. and Puerto Rican flags and waved many U.S. flags.

Governor Rosselló, the PNP candidate running for re- election, spoke at the demonstration with various US governors. When asked by El Nuevo Día if they attended the demonstration in a support of statehood, Florida governor Lawton Chiles responded, "We support what Rosselló supports."

More than 25,000 supporters of Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) marched separately in Fajardo for national independence.

"We salute the U.S. people and we say that the PIP admires them, they forged a free nation," Davíd Noriega, PIP candidate for governor, told the crowd in his message to the U.S. governors. But "if you are incapable of stopping the burnings of the evangelical churches in black communities in your states, and you support laws that discriminate against the children of immigrants, you do not have the moral authority to make decisions about Puerto Rico."

Rough seas did not stop a fleet of thirty boats of fishermen and others from Fajardo and the island of Vieques from demonstrating against the U.S. Navy's use of their island for military exercises. All the boats carried the Puerto Rican and Vieques flags and some carried banners demanding "Stop the bombing in Vieques."

Since the 1950s the U.S. Navy has occupied two-thirds of the island and carried out military operations, including bombardment, on and around Vieques, driving fishermen from the fishing grounds near the island.

A counter flotilla of jet skis that organized by Senator Valentin favoring statehood, as well a flotilla of Cubans residing on the island welcoming the governors, were canceled due to inclement weather.  
 
 
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