BY ERNIE MAILHOT
WASHINGTON, D.C. - "We are here to demand the release of
the Puerto Rican political prisoners," said José López, the
executive director of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center from
Chicago, as he addressed an enthusiastic crowd of 250 people
at a rally July 23 in Lafayette Park across from the White
House. "We are here in solidarity with the people of
Vieques."
López explained that the people of the Puerto Rican island of Vieques, through their ongoing protests against the U.S. Navy occupation of their land, were teaching an important lesson. Through these protests, he said, "The Puerto Rican nation is coming together as one people" to tell the U.S. military to get out of Puerto Rico.
Local resident David Sanes was killed in an April 19 "accidental" bombing in Vieques by the U.S. Navy during their war in Yugoslavia. This sparked widespread protests across Puerto Rico, involving fishermen, workers, youth, and others, including bourgeois political figures. On July 4, tens of thousands of people marched in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, calling for the Navy to get out of Vieques.
After listing many of Washington's attacks on Puerto Rican nationalists, 17 of whom are imprisoned in U.S. jails for advocating their country's independence, López stated, "We're also here to remind the U.S. that 101 years ago they invaded Puerto Rico. It's time to exercise self-determination and independence."
A number of participants in the Washington, D.C., action decided to come after joining picket lines at federal buildings across the country July 7, to protest that day's sentencing of José Solís Jordán to 51 months in jail on trumped-up charges.
Solís was framed by the U.S. government based on the testimony of FBI informer Rafael Marrero and a slew of FBI agents who accused him of involvement in the 1992 bombing of a U.S. military recruiting facility in Chicago. The other 16 advocates for Puerto Rico's sovereignty behind bars in the United States are serving sentences of up to 105 years.
Young Puerto Rican independentistas and others came in two buses from Chicago, and two others from Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey. Protesters also drove from Orlando, Florida, New York, Cleveland, Ohio, and elsewhere, as well as coming from the Washington, D.C. area.
`It's about time to speak out'
Marcolo Bethea, a young Puerto Rican from New York, didn't
know about the protest, but joined in when he passed by
visiting the capital. His grandmother is from Vieques. "I saw
this and I thought it's about time," Bethea said. The Puerto
Rican political prisoners "have got to be freed. Why won't
they free Puerto Rico?"
Luis Díaz drove 14 and a half hours with a vanload of others from Orlando, Florida. He explained they came to Washington as part of the international effort "to show that we want the U.S. military out of Puerto Rico and our prisoners out of jail.... The movement around Vieques is also important because people are starting to know what North American imperialism, especially the naval forces, are doing in the Caribbean."
Carlos López, a member of the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees in Chicago, came to the protest with a co-worker. He was impressed with the rally. "You can see the unity of the Puerto Rican people for the freedom of their political prisoners, people who have fought for the liberation of their country," said López, who is from Ecuador. "These people are showing that with unity you can change things, including things like the abuses of the U.S. against the working class."
Several speakers addressed the rally across from the White House, including Marcos Vilar from the National Committee to Free Puerto Rican Prisoners of War and Political Prisoners. Vilar read off the names of each of the Puerto Rican political prisoners. After each name the crowd shouted, "!Presente!" (Here with us!).
Vilar explained that the day before, a number of the activists visited the offices of 60 U.S. congressmen and senators to ask them for support to free the prisoners and to thank a few of them who sent letters to President William Clinton about the prisoners. Later in the program several people who had been part of these visits addressed the gathering.
In mid-afternoon the rally moved from Lafayette Park to picket on the sidewalk directly in front of the White House, and then moved back to the park. Seventeen people staged a civil disobedience action, and were arrested. Organizers of the protest held an ecumenical service in support of the political prisoners that evening.
Navy faces growing pressure in Vieques
Prior to the noon rally at the White House, about 35 of
the protesters picketed hearings of the Special Panel on
Military Operations on Vieques. This panel was set up by the
Clinton administration to "...reconcile national security
needs with the concerns of the people of Puerto Rico about
operations at that portion of the Atlantic Fleet Weapons
Training Facility (AFWTF) on the island of Vieques, Puerto
Rico." It was organized in response to the protests in Puerto
Rico against the killing of Sanes April 19.
As the Navy brass walked to the hearings they were greeted by chants from the pickets including, "U.S. Navy out of Puerto Rico!"
Inside the hearings, Marine Lt. General Peter Pace explained that the 2,000 marines in Kosova had their last training in Vieques. With the suspension of live-fire exercises following the outrage sparked by Sanes's death, "We are facing a real-time strategic crisis" with the lack of training for combat missions.
Former congressman Lee Hamilton asked Vice Admiral William J. Fallon, one of those testifying at the hearing, "We heard from the governor of Puerto Rico and other political leaders there. Their assessment is that there is unanimous sentiment among the people of Puerto Rico that there is a serious problem with the Vieques situation. What is the Navy's assessment of this?"
Fallon answered, "Sir, the Navy deals in facts, not sentiment."
Hamilton replied, "What people think is a fact and they have consequences," he said. "Are you aware, sir, of the consequences of the Navy failing to make any substantial changes in the situation there?"
The next day, July 24, the panel moved to Vieques to hear testimony from a dozen community leaders there. They were greeted by hundreds of protesters chanting, "!Vieques sí, Marina no!" (Vieques yes, Navy no!) and "Navy, criminals!"
Greg McCartan contributed to this article.