BY RON RICHARDS
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - In face of growing public outrage in
Puerto Rico and internationally over U.S. Navy war maneuvers
in Vieques, U.S. military officials have now admitted the Navy
used uranium-tipped shells at firing ranges in Vieques and
Torii Shima, an uninhabited island off the coast of Okinawa.
In both cases, the Navy claims that the radioactive shells
were loaded onto the aircraft by mistake.
The issue of the U.S. military occupation of Vieques, which several generation of workers and fishermen in Vieques and pro- independence forces have waged a fight against since World War II, erupted again after David Sanes, a Vieques resident working as a security guard, was killed April 19 during an "accidental" bombing by U.S. Navy
For four consecutive weekends, forces opposed to the U.S. military occupation have set up encampments on the restricted area of Camp García on the eastern end of Vieques, an island off the east coast of Puerto Rico inhabited by roughly 9,300 people. Two-thirds of the island are used by Washington as a military training ground. Several hundred people have taken part in the protests there.
Protesting members of the Northern Fishermen's Association are occupying La Yayí Cay, on the northeast tip of Vieques. The Puerto Rican Independence Party has also set up a camp in the area. Among the actions, religious leaders and others erected a chapel just north of the observation platform where Sanes was killed. On May 29, a number of unionists donated tools and construction materials to build the chapel.
"The chapel is meant as a response to the military exercises," said Ismael Guadalupe of the Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques. "They use Vieques for war games and we aim to change that."
Navy officials admitted to firing 263 uranium shells in Vieques, though they claim it was limited to one incident in March 1999. The Navy acknowledges firing off 1,520 uranium bullets in Torii Shima in 1996. The Navy said that both instances were accidents. Uranium bullets are radioactive and toxic, with more destructive power than lead bullets. Any time such a bullet is fired carcinogenic uranium is released into the environment.
Vieques has a cancer rate twice that of the rest of Puerto Rico.
The public outrage has pressured a response from Puerto Rican government officials, despite the pro-statehood stance of the administration. "For me the information that they [Navy officials] are offering me has no credibility. I'm presuming that there was more than one accident," said Secretary of State and acting-governor Norma Burgos.