US Navy in Vieques, Puerto Rico: a Sin of Idolatry

The people of Vieques, the local government, civic and religious organizations, and now the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico are indignant that the United States Navy continues to place the people of Vieques in danger every time they have any kind of military maneuver. For the first time all Puerto Ricans have joined hands to demand that the U.S. government remove the U.S. Navy from the island of Vieques, and to return the land to the people of Puerto Rico.

The indignation of the people of Puerto Rico is not caused simply over the death in April of 1999 of David Sanes, a civilian working in the base, who was killed after an F-18 bomber mistakenly dropped two 500-pound bombs 1« miles off target during special maneuvers with NATO forces. The people's indignation in Puerto Rico has gone farther than ever. While Senator Ruben Berrios-Martinez, Puerto Rican Independence Party president, continues to camp out illegally on Navy territory in Vieques in protest - both Governor Pedro Rossello and Resident Commissioner Carlos Romero Barcelo (the leaders of the pro-statehood party) have taken the diplomatic route. They wrote to the president, telling him of their wishes that the Navy stop its live ammunition bombings. President Clinton responded by naming a commission to study the petition, and to study the environmental, health and economic impact of the military practices on the island, and adding that Vieques is very important to U.S. national security.

The United Methodist Church joins these voices of indignation for the conditions to which our country has kept the people of Vieques, Puerto Rico. We are appalled by the immoral actions of keeping a community depressed, oppressed, and subjected to a slow but certain annihilation.

In the Social Principles the Church has stated that "We believe war is incompatible with the teachings and example of Christ. We therefore reject war as an instrument of national foreign policy and insist that the first moral duty of all nations is to resolve by peaceful means every dispute that arises between or among them; that human values must outweigh military claims as governments determine their priorities; that the militarization of society must be challenged and stopped..."(Social Principles, 69.C)

In addition, the Church has stated that: "The impact of militarism continues to affect developing nations and minority communities in many ways. Lands of developing nations, lands sacred to indigenous people, and colonized lands are often used as testing grounds for nuclear weapons and emerging technologies. The worldwide dependence on armaments for security has sustained the expanding arms industry and intensified conflicts and wars, many involving one ethnic or national group against another.

"The colonial and imperial subjugation of people throughout the world represses, sometimes violently, movements for self-determination of peoples, as in East Timor, Hawaii, and other islands in the pacific, Western Sahara, Puerto Rico, Northern Ireland, and countries in eastern and central Europe." (The Book of Resolutions of the United Methodist Church 1996,"Global Racism: A Violation of Humans Rights," P.253).

It is very clear that what the people of Vieques have confronted for over 50 years is the sin of idolatry. Idolatry is anything and everything we place in our lives before God (Exodus 20:1-4). When a country, any country, places their trust in their military might it is committing sin against God (Isaiah 31:1-6, 36:6-9; Ezekiel 17:15-18).

This sin is compounded when we put our trust in military power, and disregard human lives' worth because they are considered expendable for our national security. When we justify the sacrifice of innocent lives in the altar of our national security, it is like sacrificing our children to Mammon or Moloch, seriously evil.

The U.S. military apparatus is an expression of our collective idolatry. When we deposit our trust and security not in God but in our military might and our military industrial complex we forget that God is the only certain source of security (Isaiah 30:1-3; Jeremiah 37:5-7). God, to say it with Paul Tillich, ought to be "our ultimate concern," the only recipient of our trust.

This idolatry of our military apparatus brings us to oppress others without realizing that something is wrong with our actions. It is our struggle against injustice and oppression that compels us to raise our voice against this sin and on behalf of the people of Vieques, Puerto Rico, it is time to end the violence (Micah 4:3).

Historical Background

Vieques is a small island about 8 miles east of the island nation of Puerto Rico. In 1938 the US Navy began using the island-municipality of Vieques for military practices. In 1914, during the height of WWII, the U.S. initiated a campaign of expropriation of territory (evicting over 3,000 people), which ended in our possession of over two thirds of the island's most arable land. Thousands of families were displaced and those remaining, jeopardized in their basic means of subsistence. The net effect of these policies was the clustering of the entire civilian population into a small strip of land right in the middle of the island, only 25% of the island remaining in their control. Thus the US Navy took control of over 75% of this tiny island.

The United States military presence in Puerto Rico has been a daily reality since 1898 when the U.S. invaded the island. For the first 50 years of the U.S. presence on the island the issues concerning the island's future were addressed by the U.S. Department of War (today the Department of Defense). In 1990, with the Jones Act, a civilian government took the place of the military regime, however, many of the governors, who were appointed by the President of the U.S., had retired from the military or had close ties with the Department of War.

In 1935 the Senate held hearings on the Tyding's Bill which considered granting Puerto Rico independence. During those hearings Captain G.D. Parks testified before the Senate Committee on behalf of the Department of the Navy that "the Chief of Naval Operations opposes any project of independence for Puerto Rico" because for purposes of national security, the "United States have to be the only ones to judge their own future military requirements for this zone."

The people of Puerto Rico hoped that with the end of the Cold War there would be a decrease in military presence on the island, however, instead of experiencing a decrease in the military presence on the island of Puerto Rico (Vieques included) has experienced an ever growing presence. The U.S. military complex occupies about 10% of Puerto Rico's national territory (over 200,000 acres). There are 6 military bases in Puerto Rico, 11 Naval Radio or Communication Stations, and 1 FBI Office. Over 42,000 Puerto Ricans are in active military service, 15,000 serving in the Army, 3,000 serving the Coast Guard and Reserve, 2,500 serving in the Marines, 5,000 serving in the Navy, and 12,000 in the National Guard. The military industry is one of the largest single employers in PR. In a country where the unemployment rate is about 18%, and about 50% among young people, the military industry becomes a very attractive alternative.

Trying to justify their domination and abuses on the island of Vieques, the Rear admiral Arthur Knoizen, former Commander of U.S. forces in the Caribbean, speaking for the Navy, alleged that: "We need to stay here in the Caribbean and continue training. Vieques is a key part of our operation. If you want national defense you have to keep the navy strong." The future of the island of Vieques is controlled by the Department of Defense and not by the interest of the Puerto Rican people who have lived in Vieques for generations. This is a crass expression of Puerto Rico's colonial status, where a foreign power maintains control regardless of the people affected by their decisions.

The Puerto Ricans who reside in the municipality of Vieques have been the greatest victims of the United States' abuses of power. They have suffered the outrageous consequences of the violation of their human rights and international law.

Conclusion

Since 1967 the Island has been used more heavily for military practices. The territory now occupied by the U.S. Navy in Vieques, Puerto Rico, is part of the U.S. military's complex of bases and offers little help for economic development. At present, the land occupied by the Navy includes the best cattle land, the best farming land, the best fishing areas, and the best beaches. This has caused the island's economic growth to be completely stifled.

The United Methodist Church has expressed their support to the people of Vieques, Puerto Rico since 1980. Their situation deserves and demands that we raise our voice for justice and to urge the immediate end of all military practices on the island of Vieques and the return of the lands occupied by the Navy to the people of Puerto Rico.

The Navy's presence on the Island has resulted in a costly fare to get to and from the island, a trip that should take 15 to 20 minutes today takes 45 minutes to an-hour-and-a-half. The length of time to get to and from the island has resulted in an additional deterrence to the economic growth of the island. To make matters worse, since the island is considered a military installation , every kind of economic enterprise has to count with the approval of the Navy, rendering any real possibility for economic development null.

The economic conditions on the island have caused fifty percent of the population to be unemployed . There is no economic growth, no significant industry and very few possibilities for growth. This has caused families who have lived on the island for generations to flee from Vieques searching for work elsewhere. It has caused young people to move out after high school or college because of lack of work opportunities, thus draining the Island of needed human resources.

Socially, the population has suffered due to bad relations with the military personnel. The population's animosity against the military personnel has caused that their presence be monitored, or forbidden altogether.

The compound effects on the population have resulted in a low school performance, the closing of the only hospital on the island, a growing elderly population, poor transportation to travel between Vieques and the island of Puerto Rico, and health-wise, Vieques' population has the highest incident of people suffering from cancer.

In addition, the Navy also admitted that several months ago it had fired more than 250 uranium-depleted shells. (There's genuine concern that the use of depleted uranium-which emits highly dangerous radiation and has been linked to the Gulf War Syndrome-may have been used in the past on the island.) Initially the Navy denied it, but later admitted its use, in clear violation of federal laws and agreements reached with the government of Puerto Rico. This is of the utmost concern because there is a higher incidence of cancer in Vieques than on the island of Puerto Rico. This incidence of cancer patients increased since the US Navy's practices on the island started.

As if that was not enough, there is great fear that there are nuclear weapons illegally stored on the small island according to an unconfirmed report.

The ill will comes not simply from the military maneuvers, but also because the U.S. military has historically been non-responsive to the island's residents. This attitude has greatly contributed to an unprecedented movement where the three main political parties in Puerto Rico-always in bitter opposition to each other-have joined hands to demand that the U.S. Navy leave the island of Vieques.

Therefore, we must raise our voice for the people of Vieques, Puerto Rico. We must open our mouths for the oppressed, and protect the rights of the poor and needy (Proverbs 31:8-9). In that spirit, be it resolved that the United Methodist Church:

1. Express its strong support for the cessation of all military activities and support for the return of the land expropriated from the people of Vieques by the U.S. Navy.

2. Urge the U.S. Navy to clean up the contamination caused and address the people's related health concerns.

3. Establish measures to promote the reconstruction and economic development of Vieques.

4. Develop educational resources, through the General Board of Church and Society, the Board of Global Ministries and the Board of Discipleship, to help United Methodists and others understand the abuses and violations suffered by the people of Vieques, Puerto Rico.

5. Send a copy of this resolution to the President of the United States, the Chairs of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, the Governor of Puerto Rico and the United Nations Secretary General.

6. Send a copy of this resolution to the Bishop of the Puerto Rico Methodist Autonomous Affiliated Church.

Further Reading:
Justice and Safety for the People of Vieques: A GBGM Resolution

Links of Interest:
The United Nations Decolonization page