Gathered in our semi-annual meeting, we the Provincial Ministers of the English Speaking Conference of the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscan Friars), representing the countries of the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Malta and Australia make our own the grave concern of the churches and people of Puerto Rico regarding the presence and activities of the United States Navy on the island of Vieques.

Our Franciscan brother, Most Reverend Roberto 0. Gonzalez, Archbishop of San Juan, Puerto Rico, has publicly described this situation as "immoral". We concur. For more than fifty years the United States Navy has used the populated island of Vieques for maneuvers of every sort. Aircraft, submarines, warships, helicopters and missiles have been involved in these on-going war games, most often with live ammunition. The resulting trauma to the nearly 10,000 people living on Vieques' 84 square miles, the exaggerated incidence of cancer among that population and the ecological devastation wrought by fifty years of explosives in and around the island surely merit condemnation.

Further, we consider the January 2000 "agreement" between President William Clinton and the Governor of Puerto Rico, Mr. Pedro Rossello unfairly supports the United States Navy continued aggressive activities in Vieques. According to this accord the people of Puerto Rico are offered a classic Hobson's choice: receive $40 million for economic development in Vieques contingent on a resumption of bombing on the island and a referendum in Vieques with two options: bombing with "inert" munitions until 2003 or unlimited bombing with live munitions indefinitely. These are not choices but ultimatums.

We therefore call on President Clinton as Commander-in-Chief of the United States Armed Forces to respect the wishes of the Puerto Rican citizens and order the withdrawal of all naval forces from Vieques. Surely our country can find a less offensive venue for the type of maneuvers now being inflicted on the unwilling inhabitants of this small island.

THE PROVINCIAL MINISTERS FORMALLY ENDORSED THIS STATEMENT ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2000.

Phone: 412-431-4476 Fax: 413-451-6316 ofmjpic@igc.org