Barbara Bowman: Why has the U.S. Navy resumed maneuvers on Vieques at this time?

Medina: They use Vieques to prepare for war and test new weapons. Every time they go to war we know. Before they invaded Grenada in 1983 we saw the ships and the exercises. Then we read in the newspaper the very poetic names they call their exercises and invasions. And we knew when they were preparing to go to the Balkans. I think they have started the bombing now to show us that they are the ones who will determine what happens with Vieques. It is a demonstration of imperialist arrogance.

Bowman: Why should people oppose the U.S. bombing of Vieques?

Medina: First is the welfare of the people of Vieques. The Navy has been destroying our land for 60 years. That's enough! Sixty years of destroying our air, ocean, soil, coral reef, and other natural resources. They have destroyed all we gave them. They contaminated our land and even our bodies. We have nothing else to give. It is time for them to stop so we can begin to recover.

In addition, the people of Vieques are ashamed that their land is used by the U.S. government to practice for wars they carry out against other countries. We see pictures of the children and their suffering. They become orphans. Women and families are made homeless. We do not want to be accomplices in this. We do not want to be responsible for this in any way. If we let them continue to prepare for wars in our land, knowing they destroy other people, and we do nothing to stop them, that is psychologically very dangerous for us.

Bowman. What kind of international solidarity work has the Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques [CRDV] been able to do?

Medina: For 60 years we have tried to bring our struggle to other people. In the last seven years the CRDV has gone to people with the same problems [with the U.S. military] in Okinawa, Hawaii, the Philippines, and Korea. We have sent people to Spain and many cities in the United States. We also received people from all over the world in Vieques. We learn from their struggles and try to strengthen ours.

For instance, in Hawaii the Navy bombed places where the people held religious ceremonies. One of the leaders was killed. The people occupied the land. We have no indigenous ceremonies because the colonization of Puerto Rico was so thorough. So we thought about what issues would give the people of Vieques the same power to protest. We organized around the protection of the environment and our health.

Bowman. What changes have you seen in the movement and what lessons have been learned in the last few years around the fight against the U.S. bombing of Vieques?

Medina: The struggle has been my life, but before Vieques it was unusual to see women involved. But now a lot of women are active. And the youth weren't organized. Some were into drugs and alcohol. Many were indifferent. But now they are organized. They hold meetings at the university and they work with the community in Vieques.

The progressive people of Puerto Rico, such those in the Independence Party and the Puerto Rican Socialist Party, have always supported the struggle in Vieques. But now everybody is supporting us--all the churches, unions, political parties, and artists. The community is organizing groups by interests. This struggle for Vieques has given the people of Puerto Rico the opportunity to organize progressive groups.

The struggle is more mature. We don't criticize each other and we don't fight each other. We have learned from the past. We know about the "dirty tricks" that the Navy used to divide us. But we don't let them do that. We give support to the ones being attacked.

The Navy, with all its gigantic boats, looks very weak to us. They use the same strategy as in the past. We can read them, we can tell what they'll do. There's going to be jobs for one or two months, until the struggle is done. Then there will be no jobs. They're going to promise everything and carry out nothing. The people don't believe them any more.

And the people are more powerful. For me the struggle is about the empowerment of the people, for us to feel our power, the power to determine our own fate. We are a small, little island. But we have caused big problems for the Navy. They fear the example of this little island. And I know when we win it will make a big difference in many parts of the world. Our victory will give power to others struggling to get the U.S. Navy out of their lands.  
 
 
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