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US Navy kills Puerto Rican in Vieques by José Fortuño
The people of Puerto Rico, the US colony in the Caribbean, had its dose of the military aggression in the Balkans, when a missile shot by a US Navy killed one civilian and wounded four. This happened last Monday night, during Navy exercises in the island municipality of Vieques. The missile that took away David Saness life, a civil security guard, was shot by a F-18 plane, from the USS Kennedy, that is getting prepared to be sent to Yugoslavia. Sanes, as all Puerto Ricans, was a US citizen.
The incident has launched a unanimous reaction of repudiation against the US Navy. Representatives from every social and political sector have raised their voices. Even Governor Pedro Rosselló, that had never expressed opposition to the Navy, sent a letter to President Clinton asking for the end to live ammunition practices. The Navy responded with a short declaration asking pardon for the error. A Navy spokesman pointed out that Vieques is essential to US military interests because it is the only place where they practice in actual combat conditions. Some of the wounded have given signs of having been intimidated not to say too much to the press. Vieques is a 52 square miles island with a population of 9,000 civilians. Three fourths of its territory are occupied by the Navy and are used continually for shooting exercises. This situation has prevented the development of Vieques, an island with an unlimited tourist potential, forcing most of its people to leave. Over the years, wide sectors of the Vieques people, especially the fishermen, and of the Puerto Rican people in general, have expressed themselves against the Navy. Besides claiming that they are prevented from carrying a normal life, because of their lands being occupied by the Navy, and for the constant bombing, they have said repeatedly that there was a real danger of an incident of fatal consequences. Since Monday, in Vieques, every day thousands have gathered demanding the end of the Navy occupation, and a massive demonstration, with people attending from all Puerto Rico is scheduled for next Saturday.
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