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We don't have the weapons to sink their naval forces but we have the weapon to sink their prestige in the world. - Pedro Albizu Campos

HISTORICALLY, Vieques was always coveted by various European powers for its strategic military position and its magnificent ports.

At the end of the 17th Century, the island was nearly devoid of Spanish inhabitants. The English and the Dutch coveted it. English troops succeeded in occupying it on several occasions, but in 1718 were defeated anew by the Creole forces from the "Big Island" (Puerto Rico). On the occasions when the British did occupy the island, they offered refuge to fugitive slaves from Puerto Rico.

Among the more colorful characters who fought against the Anglo Saxons was the Mulatto Puerto Rican corsair, Miguel Henríquez. For the good services rendered with his fleet of privateer ships, the King of Spain conferred upon him the title of "Captain of the Sea and War and Outfitter of the Corsairs of Puerto Rico", and even named him "Knight of the Royal Effigy".

Vieques covers a total of 33,000 acres, 22,605 acres of which are currently occupied by the United States Navy. The Navy began operations there in 1935, and in 1941 acquired the land in the western part of the island. In 1944 they constructed a 107-building Center for the storage of munitions. Later, they built a 5,000-foot long airstrip in the south of the island.

The North American forces use our "Little Island" as a firing range for the North Atlantic Fleet, for amphibian exercises, field exercises for the Marines, and for staging practice invasions other countries -- recently with the pilots who later were sent to Serbia.

We Puerto Ricans have been asking for decades for the removal of the Navy, whose presence has caused serious ecological, commercial, archaeological, tourism and health damages to the Puerto Rican population. Recently, it was discovered that the U.S. Navy has used radioactive components on the island. The people of Vieques suffer the highest cancer rates in all of Puerto Rico.

Given the stoppage of naval exercises by Puerto Rican militants who believe in civil disobedience, the Navy moved its exercises for a few short weeks to the coast of the United States. Within a few days, hundreds of North Americans living nearby began to complain about the noise and about the way their homes shook with the explosions and disturbed their sleep.

Faced with this situation, so critical to our national history, the pro-statehood government in Puerto Rico -now defeated- adopted a servile posture. It acts against the best interests of the Puerto Rican people, turning its back on the people of Vieques, and in defiance of the universal postulates of justice and peace.

But a people standing, not kneeling, militant and not submissive, will show that our country is to be respected!



When and how did the powerful United States Navy come to Vieques, and the people of Puerto Rico fight to expel them from our shores? Read about the course of these events in:
- Cronología del caso de la Marina en Vieques: 1940-2000.
We also invite you to read:
- Simón Bolívar en Vieques.

* Música de fondo: danza "Isla hermosa", de Luciano Quiñones Lugo.