Vieques Libre

For nearly six decades, the U.S. Navy had a stranglehold on Vieques. It controlled the island's eastern and western ends and exerted enormous influence over the destiny of the civilian area sandwiched in between. Though long protested, the bombing continued. When an off-target bomb killed a civilian on Navy land in April 1999, opposition began to transform the island's placid beaches into political hotbeds. As a result of the protests that followed, the Navy finally withdrew from its Atlantic Fleet training grounds in May 2002.

Protesters camping out on the bombing range kept it shut down from 1999 to 2000. Hundreds of Puerto Rican residents were arrested for trespassing on Navy land during war games. They were joined by celebrity protesters from the United States, including environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (who gave his baby daughter the middle name "Vieques"), the wife of Reverend Jesse Jackson, and Reverend Al Sharpton, all of whom were arrested for trespassing on the bombing range. For much of 2000 and 2001, protests were so commonplace that there were semipermanent encampments of opponents. Songs with such titles as "Paz Pa' Vieques" ("Peace for Vieques") began to surface, as did bumper stickers and T-shirts with protest slogans. Latin pop celebrities such as singer-songwriter Robie Draco Rosa (who wrote Ricky Martin hits like "Livin' la Vida Loca"), actor Edward James Olmos, singer Millie Corejter, Puerto Rican rock band Fiel a la Vega, protest-singer Zoraida Santiago, local actors, painters, doctors, and lawyers, added to the fanfare when they joined the activities.

President Bill Clinton finally agreed that residents could vote on whether to continue to host the Navy. A nonbinding referendum held in 2001 found that 68% of the island's voters wanted the military to leave immediately. Although some members of Congress argued that the Navy should stay indefinitely -- their cries grew louder after September 11, 2001, when even local protesters called for a moratorium on civil disobedience -- the administration agreed to withdraw the troops. In 2003, the naval base was officially closed.

The Navy's departure has undoubtedly spurred development on Vieques -- one need only look at the additions to the tiny airport and plans for a modern ferry terminal. Amenities such as a golf course running along the northern coast are also in the works. But locals are working to make sure that the island retains its laid-back character. By the end of 2005, much of the former military base had already been transformed into the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge. This move should preserve most of the island in its unspoiled state.