Fight to stop U.S. usage of Culebra
Culebra was originally named Isla Pasaje translation would likely be Island Passage.
Culebra is a small island seventeen miles east of Puerto Rico’s Main Island. “On June 26, 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt established the Culebra Naval Reservation..” Culebra became U.S.’s main artillery and bombing range for practice firings. The Practice use of weapons air to ground, and naval, firing increased. The increase in weapons usage on the island led to widespread protests in Puerto Rico. The protestors wanted to U.S. to stop its usage of the island ( I.e. Bombing). In1970, a law was pasted which called for the U.S. secretary of defense, to prepare a report based on the weapons training in and around Culebra. The report had a statement in it which stated that the island would be re-inspected in 1972. The second inspection never happened.
In 1971, the president of the Puerto Rican independence party (PIP) was Rubén Berríos. He lead the protests on the island against, the U.S. Navy’s occupancy and weapons test on the island. Rubén Berríos stayed on Culebra for three days ,and was arrested. He was arrested and ended up spending time in jail. The protests was a push to the U.S. giving up its occupancy of the island. Mortar Fire hit the island landing on beach where two children were playing. All the political parties in Puerto Rico wanted the U.S. to stop its training on Culebra. On June 1974, President Ford decided to discontinue the Navy’s Presence on Culebra. By July 1,1975 the U.S.’s miss usage of Culebra was over.
References:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/culebra.htm
http://welcome.topuertorico.org/city/culebra.shtml
http://www.puertorico-herald.org/issues/vol4n40/ProfileBerrios-en.html
1 comment:
Not true that there are 3 political status options for Puerto Rico
The United States (US) government has made Puerto Ricans believe that there are 3 political status options for Puerto Rico. That is a lie. The purpose for that is to have Puerto Ricans fight amongst themselves. The plan has been a huge success! Puerto Rico has been a colony of the United States for 116 years, and judging by the 80% voter turnout in the colonial elections, the majority of us has not realized that we have been lied to.
In reality, there is only one option. The United Nations (UN) in 1960 determined that colonialism is a crime against humanity. Therefore, the only thing that Puerto Rico can do is to become her own nation. That means that the US must give Puerto Rico the sovereignty that the US illegally took away from her by virtue of the July 25, 1898 military invasion.
Thus far, the US government has ignored the 33 UN resolutions asking it to immediately decolonize Puerto Rico. Instead, it has tried to hide these petitions, and at the same time appear to believe in democracy by pushing for plebiscites so that Puerto Ricans could decide between colonialism, being a US state, or independence (decolonization as required by the UN).
The problem with the US pushed plebiscites are that they:
1. don’t comply with international law that prohibits a nation to have a colony.
2. don’t comply with international law that requires the empire to give the sovereignty it illegally took away to its colony.
3. don’t comply with international law that requires that to have free elections, that country must be free first.
4. have 2 options that are not permitted by international law- continuing being a colony and becoming a state of the country that has the colony. For the option of becoming a state of the country that has the colony to be considered, the colony must first become her own nation (decolonized).
This is why we have to peacefully protest 3 times a year until the US government complies with the UN resolutions for Puerto Rico decolonization.
José M López Sierra
www.TodosUnidosDescolonizarPR.blogspot.com
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