{Scroll down for English version) "AUN HAY VARIAS PERSONAS EN LA ZONA DE TIRO EN VIEQUES" ("THERE ARE STILL SEVERAL PEOPLE IN THE LIVE IMPACT AREA IN VIEQUES")
COMUNICADO DE PRENSA/MENSAJE URGENTE
CAMPAMENTO MONTE DAVID VIEQUES, PUERTO RICO Contacto: Carlos Zenon (Tel. 787-741-8315)
5 de mayo del 2000- Carlos Zenon, Presidente de la Asociacion de Pescadores de Vieques y dirigente del Campamento Monte David en la zona de tiro en Vieques, anuncio que aun quedan hombres y mujeres en la zona de tiro que continuan actuando como escudos humanos contra cualquier intento de reanudar bombardeos en Vieques.
Zenon explico que "La estrategia del Campamento Monte David siempre ha sido que no ibamos a resistir los arrestos con violencia, pero tampoco le ibamos a hacer la cosa facil a la Marina y a los alguaciles federales. Cumplimos con nuestra palabra. Cuando comenzo el operativo contra los manifestantes, integrantes del Campamento Monte David y el Campamento Mapepe (otro de los campamentos de desobediencia civil) se internaron en la zona de tiro y se encuentran en dos campamentos secretos cuya localizacion y existencia nunca divulgamos."
Anadio Zenon que en ambos campamentos secretos hay agua y provisiones y que "la presencia de estas valientes personas en la zona de tiro sirve para incentivar al pueblo y darle continuidad a nuestra lucha y a la paralizacion de los bombardeos." El pescador viequense anadio: "De hecho, mientras quede si quiera una persona escondida en la zona de tiro, los mismos alguaciles durante su busqueda estarian actuando tambien como escudos humanos contra los bombardeos".
Zenon pudo identificar a por lo menos siete (7) personas que aun permanecen en el area de tiro. Del Campamento David se encuentran (1) su hijo Pedro Zenon, (2) su hijo Cacimar Zenon, y (3) Magaly Santos, y del Campamento Mapepe (4) Miguel Gonzalez, (5) Miguel Velazquez, (6) Carlos Garcia, y (7) otro joven viequense. Explico Zenon que se cree que hay mas personas escondidas en la zona de tiro, y dijo que "aunque de la Marina de Guerra de los Estados Unidos se puede esperar cualquier cosa, la realidad es que mientras estos manifestantes esten en la zona de tiro, la Marina no puede reanudar el bombardeo."
Por ultimo, Zenon expreso: "Yo como padre, y mi esposa como madre, estamos preocupados por lo que le pueda pasar a nuestros hijos en circunstancias donde estan solos y en condiciones infrahumanas y peligrosas. Pero hay tantas familias viequenses que han sufrido por las atrocidades que ha hecho la Marina aqui en Vieques por tanto tiempo, que estamos dispuestos a pagar ese precio por contribuir a que el sufrimiento de este pueblo termine ya."
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(English version)
"THERE ARE STILL SEVERAL PEOPLE IN THE LIVE IMPACT AREA IN VIEQUES"
PRESS RELEASE/URGENT MESSAGE
CAMP MOUNT DAVID VIEQUES, PUERTO RICO Contact: Carlos Zenon (Phone# 787-741-8315)
May 5, 2000- Carlos Zenon, President of the Vieques Fishermen's Association and leader of Camp Mount David in the live impact area in Vieques, announced that there are still men and women in the live impact area acting as human shields against any attempt to renew bombing in Vieques.
Zenon explained that "The strategy in Camp Mount David has always been that we were not going to resist arrests with violence, but we were not going to make it easy for the U.S. Navy and the federal marshalls. We kept our promise. When the raid against the demonstrators began, members of Camp Mount David and Camp Mapepe (another of the civil disobedience camps) went deep inside the live impact area and are in two secret camps whose location and existence was never revealed."
Zenon added that there is water and provisions in both secret camps and that "the presence of these courageuos men and women in the live impact area serves as an incentive to the people and to provide continuity to our struggle and to stopping the bombings." The Viequense fisherman added: "In fact, as long as there remains even one person hiding in the live impact area, the federal marshals themselves during their search would also be acting as human shields against the bombings."
Zenon was able to identify at least seven (7) people who are still in the live impact area. From Camp David there are: (1) his son Pedro Zenon, (2) his son Cacimar Zenon, and (3) Magaly Santos, and from Camp Mapepe (4) Miguel Gonzalez, (5) Miguel Velazquez, (6) Carlos Garcia, and (7) another Viequense youth. Zenon explained that there might be more people hiding in the live impact area, and said that "although one can expect almost anything from the U.S. Navy, the fact is that as long as these demonstratos remain in the live impact area, the Navy cannot resume bombing."
Finally, Zenon stated: "As a father, and my wife as a mother, we are concerned about what may happen to our sons in circumstances in which they are alone and in subhuman and dangerous conditions. Yet there are so many Viequense families who have suffered the atrocities committed by the U.S. Navy here in Vieques for so long, that we are willing to pay that price in order to contribute to putting an end to the suffering of our people." ____________