FBI arrest Vieques leader

FBI arrest Vieques leader
by Voor Moeder Aarde Wednesday June 25, 2003 at 06:02 PM

For the past years, the people of Vieques have been waging a nonviolent struggle against the use of their island by the US military as a bombing range. Although the US recently announced that they would no longer use the island for target practice, the islanders are still involved in a fight to retain control of their island, and to ensure that the US repairs the contamination and environmental destruction that they caused. Over the past weeks they have been facing increased harassment from the FBI.

25 June, 2003 Press Release

FBI arrest Vieques leader, Nilda Medina

Shortly before 5AM today, five agents of the FBI entered the home of Nilda Medina and Robert Rabin, members of the Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques (CRDV) with a warrant to arrest Medina, acusing her of violation of Title 18 of the Federal Code for "damage to property''. Teodoro Lebron was the agent in charge of the operation that included members of the Puerto Rican police. The arrest order was signed by Magistrate Aida Delgado and Special Agent of the FBI, Carlos Rodríguez.

Members of the CRDV and the Vieques community denounced the arrest as an abuse against a woman who has been a example of this struggle for peace and made great efforts over the past four years to maintain the non violent nature of the struggle that gained the respect of people throughout the world.

This arrest comes just four days after FBI agents entered the facilities of the CRDV in the Peace and Justice Camp, with a search warrant to find "maps, photos, phone and address lists or other materials as evidence of the commission of a crime."

Nilda Medina is recognized as one of the principal leaders of the Vieques struggle during more than two decades and is a founding member of the CRDV. During actions of civil disobedience, Medina was arrested on May 4th, 2000 and again in June of that year when she participated in the first brigade to return to the bombing zone after the "removal" of the Civil Disobedience Camps from the military area.

Spokespersons for the CRDV also denounce the arrest of others in Vieques and in the main island that could take place today and emphasized that the group continues its plan to hold a People's Assembly this Thursday at 7PM in the Count Mirasol Fort on Vieques to discuss strategies for this new phase of the struggle for decontamination, return of the lands to the people and sustainable development.

arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)