Both groups had planned to picket on Vieques but bad weather prevented activists from taking a boat across the water. Vieques is only six miles from Puerto Rico but both sides are controlled by the Navy, making the ferry crossing 16 miles. For decades the Navy has turned down requests to allow a shorter route, which would decrease the isolation of people on the island.

The same day as the twin marches, El Nuevo Dia, the largest daily in Puerto Rico, had several articles about the struggle to remove the Navy from Vieques. It reported that the Clinton administration is moving ahead with its plan to reopen the bombing range in March for five more years, but without any guarantees the Navy will leave then. All political parties and organizations in Puerto Rico have rejected the plan.

On this issue the military has bipartisan support. "There are ways that the Navy can improve its relations with the citizens of Vieques," said Trent Lott, Republican senator from Mississippi, "and I support these efforts. But I believe that training camp on Vieques must remain open to assure that our troops receive the training in live ammunition that they need."

In another article, El Nuevo Dia reports that half a world away people are following the news from Vieques with interest. Okinawa, an island 300 miles off the southern coast of Japan, is loaded with U.S. military bases. Residents there have protested the U.S. military presence, especially after several U.S. sailors raped a 12-year-old girl in 1996. The Navy is worried that if Puerto Ricans succeed in kicking them out of Vieques that it will inspire a renewed fight in Okinawa.  
 
 
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