DATE: February 23, 2001

TO: Mrs. J. Van Nieuwenhoven
President of the Parliament of Holland

Dear Mrs. Van Nieuwenhoven:

We are writing on behalf of the island municipality of Vieques for your help in stopping the bombing practices on our beautiful island of 9,000 residents located 7 miles from the mainland of Puerto Rico. We urge your government to abandon your planned participation in military maneuvers in the island of Vieques that are scheduled to take place from approximately March 6 to 22, 2001.

In the 1940's the U.S. Navy took three quarters of the island of Vieques as part of the militarization process in Puerto Rico and the rest of the Caribbean.  The Navy, along with NATO and other US allies, use the eastern third of the island for live bombing practice from ships, jets, and for experimentation with new weapons systems.

Devastating environmental impact from military activity and contamination is responsible for a health crisis on the island, manifested in the islands 30% higher cancer case rate compared to the rest of the Puerto Rican archipelago. Recent studies indicate dangerous levels of heavy metals as well as depleted uranium in the air, land, water, vegetation and in the food chain, including the human population.

We hold the U.S. and all other countries participating in these maneuvers responsible for those victims who have died or been wounded, or who have been made ill, from these war practices, and for the psychological damages caused to our children.

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

We accuse the U.S. Navy of thwarting, for more than half a century, the healthy development of our economy, forcing our people to emigrate in search of work and safe haven, resulting in the disintegration of many Viequense families.

Since the death of Viequense civilian worker, David Sanes, by a stray bomb dropped on this Navy base on April 19, 1999, the will of the majority of Viequenses and the majority of Puerto Ricans, has been represented in the non-violent civil disobedience movement that strives for the immediate and permanent cessation of all military activity in Vieques.

Since then, almost 1000 persons have risked their lives by entering the Navy base in Vieques in order to act as human shields against the continuation of the bombing.  More peaceful protesters are preparing to enter the range in March to prevent further destruction and contamination of our lands and people by the upcoming bombing.

This movement has been forged by the women, men and youth of our island including the fishermen, teachers, heath care workers, religious leaders, environmentalists, students, artists, and many others.  In one typical show of support, a car caravan of over 1500 cars, each full of supporters, paraded through the streets of Vieques demanding that the Navy leave Vieques and cleanup the damage done to our environment.

We oppose the phony deal made in January, 2000 between the former Governor of Puerto Rico, Pedro Rossello, and former U.S. President Clinton, proposing a referendum that would deny our people from voting for the Navy to leave immediately.  The people of Vieques have proclaimed repeatedly, "Not one more bomb! Not one more minute!"   We will not tolerate any more bombing, live or inert, and we will not allow the bombing to continue until 2003.

At this moment our new Governor, Sila Calderon, is meeting with officials of the Bush administration in Washington, D.C., to demand an immediate cessation of the bombing in Vieques.

We call upon the people of Holland to stand with the people of Vieques and the current Governor of Puerto Rico against this assault by the U.S. government.  The U.S. earns $80 million of blood money from the countries that rent Vieques for these practices.  Already the government of Venezuela has decided to withdraw from practices in Vieques.

Please stand up for peace and justice and stop these senseless acts of violence committed in the name of your national security against our people.  How can you take away the liberty of our people while claiming to be protecting your nation from aggression?  Are not all human lives equal?  We know you will answer YES!!

Sincerely yours,

Nilda Medina
Spokesperson
Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques