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August 5, 1999 The Honorable William J. Clinton President of the United
States 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500-0005 Dear
President Clinton: I am writing on behalf of the National Council of La
Raza (NCLR), the largest
Hispanic constituency-based organization in the U.S., to urge that the U.S.
Navy
cease all use of live ammunition permanently on the island of Vieques,
Puerto Rico.
Further, we support the Puerto Rican people in their demand for an end to
the U.S.
Navy presence on Vieques. Congressional representatives Dan Burton (R-IN),
Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL),
José Serrano (D-NY), and Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), Resident Commissioner Carlos
Romero-Barceló, and a growing number of members of Congress of both parties,
together with constituents in the U.S.mainland Hispanic community, are
united in
the belief that Navy operations on the island of Vieques constitute a clear
and present
danger to the 9,000 Puerto Ricans living on that island. These U.S.
citizens have
a right to the same degree of respect accorded to all Americans living in
every
other state and territory of the union. The U.S. Navy does not have the
right to use live
ammunition containing Napalm, or to conduct training operations that routinely
endangers the lives of U.S. civilians living nearby. For over 50 years,
the Navy
has conducted these discriminatory practices on Vieques and the recent tragic
death of a civilian underscore that they must cease now. The rationale that
these exercises are somehow necessary for the sake
of "national security" is insufficient to justify endangering the lives of
U.S.
citizens. These exercises recall the Tuskegee experiments in their complete
disregard for the lives of people of color. There is a strong
suspicion that, beyond the training exercises, the Navy's presence in
Vieques is harmful.
For example, the cancer rate in Vieques is 27% greater than that on the
main island of Puerto Rico. While a scientific causal relationship between
the rate of cancer and the chemicals dropped by the U.S. Navy on Vieques has
yet to be established, the higher rate suggests that there does seem to be
a close link
that should be examined.
We strongly urge the U.S. Navy to cease all use of live ammunition
permanently on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. Further, we support the
Puerto
Rican people in their demand for an end to the U.S. Navy presence on
Vieques. If we can
be helpful towards this end, we invite you to call on us for additional
assistance as necessary.
We appreciate your consideration of our views. Sincerely, Raul Yzaguirre
President
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Discussion on U.S. Navy operations on Vieques, Puerto Rico endangering the
lives of U.S. Citizens The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and the
Hispanic Council on International Relations
(HCIR) invite you to participate in a discussion on U.S. Navy operations on
the island of
Vieques, Puerto Rico. The discussion will take place at NCLR (1111 19th
St. NW, Suite 1000) on
Monday August 23, 1999 from 3 5 p.m. Congressional representatives Dan
Burton (R-IN), Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL), José Serrano (D-NY),
and Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), Resident Commissioner Carlos Romero-Barceló,
and a growing
number of members of Congress of both parties, together with constituents
in the U.S. mainland
Hispanic community, are united in the belief that Navy operations on the
island of Vieques
constitute a clear and present danger to the 9,000 Puerto Ricans living on
that island.
These U.S. citizens have a right to the same degree of respect accorded to
all Americans living in
every other state and territory of the union. The purpose of the discussion
is to develop a unified, coherent strategy to assure
the removal of the U.S. Navy presence on Vieques. We very much hope that we
can count on your participation at this meeting.
Please let us know as soon as possible if you can attend. Attn: Daniel
Sepulveda
fax (202) 776-1794
phone (202) 776-1762
E-mail: dsepulveda@nclr.org Monday, August 23, 1999
I will participate in the discussion on Vieques Name:
__________________________________________________
Organization: ____________________________________________
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Enrique Gili
Hispanic- American Village
The Minorities Job Bank
http://www.minorities-jb.com/hispanic.htm