MIM Notes # 222       Nov 15, 2000

People of Vieques protest u.$. bombing again; Puerto Ricans 
denied the vote

October 1 - Between 5 and 6 thousand demonstrators joined a 
march on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques demanding the u.$. 
Navy end its military occupation of the island.(1) This march, 
which organizers say was the largest in the history of 
Vieques, builds on the on-going protests by Puerto Rican 
people demanding an end to u.$. Navy bombing on Vieques. Sixty 
five protesters were arrested for entering the area the Navy 
claims to own. Another nine escaped arrest with help from 
local fisherpeople.(1)

In spite of the widespread protest and condemnation of u.$. 
bombing of Vieques among the people of Puerto Rico, the united 
$tates and its NATO allies staged a mock invasion of the 
island on October 17. Fifty warships, 31,000 u.$. soldiers and 
an undisclosed number of other Western troops participated in 
the largest military exercises on Vieques in four years.(2)

The united $tates has held Puerto Rico as a colony since 
before World War I. One of the important benefits to the 
united $tates is the use of Vieques as a military training 
base. The u.$. navy has destroyed the economy and the 
environment of Vieques while carrying out military exercises 
that prepare it to put down any uprisings against imperialism 
around the world.

There has been increasing protest against the u.$. Navy's 
occupation of Vieques after a civilian security guard was 
killed there over a year ago. This heightened awareness of and 
opposition to their position as a u.$. colony among the people 
of Puerto Rico has led to significant outcry against their 
inability to vote in the u.$. presidential election this year. 
Although Puerto Ricans have u.$. citizenship and can be 
drafted into the military, they do not have a vote in the 
election. 

Eleven Puerto Ricans brought a lawsuit in federal court 
challenging the exclusion of Puerto Ricans from participating 
in the presidential elections. On August 29th Judge Jaime 
Pieras of the Federal District Court in San Juan rulled that 
Puerto Ricans, as u.$. citizens, have the right to vote in a 
general election. Pieras pointed out that u.$. citizens living 
outside of the united $tates can vote in absentia so the fact 
that Puerto Rico is not a state should not prohibit Puerto 
Ricans living on the island from voting. Puerto Rican governor 
Rosello' then signed a law that will allow the vote to take 
place.(3)

The u.$. government challenged this ruling in the United 
States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston. The 
appeals court sided with the government and overturned the 
district court, saying that Puerto Ricans cannot vote in 
presidential elections as long as Puerto Rico is not a 
state.(4)

MIM does not consider the fight for a vote in the presidential 
elections for the people of Puerto Rico to be a revolutionary 
battle. Allowing the Puerto Rican people to have a say in 
which imperialist will lead the exploitation and oppression of 
the world's people will not advance the cause of the world's 
oppressed. And it will not be a step closer to self-
determination for the islands of Puerto Rico. MIM stands 
strong with the people of Puerto Rico in their demand that the 
u.$. Navy get off of Vieques. And we state unequivocally that 
Puerto Rico has a right to national self-determination, 
without u.$. occupying troops, or intervening capitalist 
corporations, political control of the government, or any 
other form of colonial occupation by the united snakes.

Notes:

1.  Weekly News Update on the Americas, Issue #558, October 8, 
2000. Nicaragua Solidarity Network of Greater New York, 
wnu@igc.org.

2. Associated Press, 16 Oct 2000; Associated Press, 17 Oct 
2000.

3. New York Times, October 8, 2000. P.A16.

4. Reuters, 13 Oct 2000.