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Declaration of ULTIMATUM of the People of Vieques
to the Unites States Navy

Approved by the Assembly of the People of Vieques celebrated this 31st day
of July, 1999 in Vieques, Puerto Rico.


The People of Vieques, with the unanimous support of all of Puerto Rico�s
community sectors and wit hte support of the Puerto Rican Government,
demands that the Unites States military forces in Vieques, Puerto Rico cease
permanently all war practices, exercises and other activities; the immediate
departure of all its personnel, equipment ad artifacts from the
island municipality; and the return of all presently occupied territories by
any branch or department of the U.S. armed forces to the Municipality of
Vieques.

We proclaim our inalienable right to build a future of peace and well-being
and continue the historic and heroic struggle that for more than six decades
has taken place without respite to end the abuse of the U.S. Navy in
Vieques.

We reaffirm the commitment of the people of Vieques and of all Puerto Ricans
to support the right of our fishermen and fisherwomen to defend our sea
resources.

We accuse the U.S. Navy of polluting our air, water and land and
contributing significantly to the high level of cancer and other diseases
related to the degradation of the environment that affect our population.

We make them responsible for all the dead, wounded, ill and other victims of
their military activities during these six decades, and for the profound
psychological damage caused to our children.

We deplore the use of depleted uranium, napalm bombs and other chemical and
toxic weapons condemned by international public opinion because of their
adverse impact on health and the environment.

We demand that the United States government clean up all waste and toxic
materials from the island of Vieques, as well as the decontamination of the
areas used for military practice, including the removal and defusing of the
bombs and ammunition.

We accuse the US Navy of thwarting, for more that half a century, the
healthy development of our economy, forcing our people to emigrate in
search of work and well-being, wit the resulting family disintegration.

We demand from the US government a just indemnification for the use of the
land, the damage done to the population of Vieques and to the environment,
as well as for the cost of the decontamination of all of Vieques territory.

We declare that the Navy is an usurping entity of our territory, whose
presence and activities violate the natural right of the people of Vieques
to enjoy our natural resources and the right to peace.

If the Navy does not respond to the demands of our people, we declare the
intention of all the people of Vieques and of millions of Puerto Ricans in
solidarity throughout the Puerto Rican Archipelago and in the United States,
to participate in, and support, the acts we carry out inside the territories
restricted by the US military forces in Vieques.

We hold the US government responsible for any harm or injury against any
Puerto Rican who exercise his or her right to defend our land.

Furthermore, we declare that repression or arrests will not weaken the
determination of the Puerto Rican-Viequense people to rescue from the United
States Navy the territorial patrimony that belongs by historical and natural
right to the people of Vieques.

This Declaration of Ultimatum will be given to the military officers in
Vieques, the President of the United States, the United  Nations and the
Governor of Puerto Rico.

Approved by the Assembly of the People of Vieques celebrated this 31st day
of July, 1999 in Vieques, Puerto Rico.


We, the undersigned, assembled in Vieques on July 31, 1999, in
representation of the Puerto Rican-Viequenses civil society, endorse the
Declaration of Ultimatum of the People of Vieques addressed to the United
States Navy.




Ismael Guadalupe Ortiz - Comit� Pro Rescate y Desarrollo de Vieques

Rda. Lucy I. Rosario Medina - Iglesia Metodista de Vieques

Gladys Rivera Cintr�n - Alianza de Mujeres Viequenses

Victor Emeric - Partido Popular Democr�tico, Vieques

Javier Torres Ortiz - Juventud Viequense Unida

Luis Ramos Cepeda - Partido Independentista Puertorrique�o,Vieques

Carlos Ventura - Asociaci�n de Pescadores del Sur de Vieques

Ram�n Figueroa - Coordinadora Todo Puerto Rico con Vieques

Rub�n Reyes - Fideicomiso de Conservaci�n de Vieques

Jes�s Delgado Burgos - Concilio General de Trabajadores

Rafael Rivera Casta�o, MD - Centro Cultural Yaureibo de Vieques

Federico Torres Montalvo - Central Puertorrique�a de Trabajadores

Carlos Ruiz, FMPR

Jos� M. Rodr�guez B�ez - Zona de Resistencia Playa Yay� - Federaci�n de
Trabajo de PR

Ricardo Jord�n -  UTIER, Comit� Sindical Viequense

Germ�n Garc�a Torres -  Liga de Cooperativas de Puerto Rico

Adrienne Adams Col�n - Asociaci�n de Maestros de Puerto Rico, Vieques

Juan Camacho - Congreso Nacional Hostosiano

Leonardo Vel�zquez, Guardi�n Mayor - Iglesia Episcopal Todos los Santos,
Vieques

Doris Pizarro -  Nuevo Movimiento Independista

Lcdo. Eduardo Villanueva

Colegio de Abogados de Puerto Rico

Iglesia Episcopal de Puerto Rico

Concilio Evang�lico de Puerto Rico



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More info/activist-stuff on www.viequeslibre.org/