Ngu-Lawrence Wittner, Ephreli 29, 2019
Kusukela Impi Yubugebengu
I-Vieques iyisiqhingi esincane sasePuerto Rican esinabantu abangaba ngu-9,000. Ifakwe izihlahla zesundu namabhishi amahle, anetheku elikhanyayo le-bioluminescent namahhashi asendle azulazula yonke indawo, iyaheha. izinombolo ezinkulu yezivakashi. Kodwa, cishe iminyaka engamashumi ayisithupha, i-Vieques yasebenza njengendawo yokuqhuma kwamabhomu, indawo yokuqeqesha amasosha, kanye nedepho yokugcina i-US Navy, kuze kube yilapho izakhamuzi zayo ezithukuthele, ziqhutshwa ukuphazamiseka, zihlenga izwe lakubo ekubanjweni kwezempi.
Njengesiqhingi esikhulu sasePuerto Rico, iVieques—esendaweni engamakhilomitha ayisishiyagalombili ukuya empumalanga—kwabuswa amakhulu eminyaka njengekoloni leSpain, kwaze kwaba iMpi YaseSpain-American ka-1898 yaguqula iPuerto Rico yaba ikoloni elingakahleleki (“indawo engazimele”) yase-United States. Ngo-1917, abantu basePuerto Rican (kuhlanganise nabakwaViequenses) baba izakhamuzi zase-US, nakuba babengenalo ilungelo lokuvotela umbusi wabo kwaze kwaba ngu-1947 futhi namuhla basaqhubeka bengenalo ilungelo lokumelela kuKhongolose yase-US noma ukuvotela umongameli wase-US.
Phakathi neMpi Yezwe II, uhulumeni wase-US, ekhathazekile ngokuvikeleka kwesifunda saseCaribbean kanye nePanama Canal, wathatha ingxenye enkulu yomhlaba empumalanga yePuerto Rico nase-Vieques ukuze akhe iSiteshi Semikhumbi Semikhumbi esikhulukazi saseRoosevelt. Lokhu kwakuhlanganisa cishe izingxenye ezimbili kwezintathu zomhlaba e-Vieques. Ngenxa yalokho, izinkulungwane zamaViequense zaxoshwa ezindlini zazo futhi zafakwa ezimobeni ezicekelwe phansi umbutho wezempi wasolwandle owathi “izindawo zokuhlaliswa kabusha.”
I-US Navy yokuthatha i-Vieques yashesha ngo-1947, lapho iqoka i-Roosevelt Roads njengendawo yokuqeqeshwa kwezempi yasolwandle kanye nedepho yokugcina futhi yaqala ukusebenzisa lesi siqhingi umkhuba wokudubula kanye nokuhlalisa emanzini ngamashumi ezinkulungwane zamatilosi nasolwandle. Inweba ukudliwa kwayo endaweni ezingxenyeni ezintathu kwezine ze-Vieques, ibutho lasolwandle lasebenzisa ingxenye esentshonalanga ukuze ligcine izinhlamvu zalo kanye nengxenye esempumalanga ngemidlalo yalo yokuqhunyiswa kwamabhomu nempi, kuyilapho lifaka abantu bomdabu endaweni encane ebahlukanisayo.
Emashumini eminyaka alandelayo, ibutho lasolwandle laqhumisa amabhomu eVieques lisuka emoyeni, emhlabeni nasolwandle. Phakathi neminyaka yawo-1980 no-1990, yadedela amabhomu aphakathi kwamathani angu-1,464 minyaka yonke esiqhingini futhi yenza izivivinyo zokuqeqeshwa kwezempi okuyisilinganiso sezinsuku eziyi-180 ngonyaka. Ngo-1998 kuphela, ibutho lasolwandle lalahla amabhomu angu-23,000 XNUMX eVieques. Iphinde yasebenzisa isiqhingi ukuhlola izikhali eziphilayo.
Ngokwemvelo, kuma-Viequenses, lokhu kubusa kwezempi kwadala ubukhona obubi. Bexoshwa ezindlini zabo kanye nomnotho wabo wendabuko usuwohlokile, bahlangabezana nezinto ezesabekayo ukuqhuma kwamabhomu okuseduze. “Lapho umoya ufika uvela empumalanga, waletha intuthu nezinqwaba zothuli ezindaweni eziqhunyiswa ngamabhomu,” kukhumbula esinye isakhamuzi. “Babeqhumisa amabhomu nsuku zonke, kusukela ngo-5 ekuseni kuze kube u-6 ntambama. Kwaba sengathi kuyindawo yempi. Ubuzozwa . . . amabhomu ayisishiyagalombili noma ayisishiyagalolunye, futhi indlu yakho yayiqhaqhazela. Yonke into esezindongeni zakho, amafreyimu akho ezithombe, imihlobiso yakho, izibuko, bekuwela phansi bese kuphuka,” futhi “indlu yakho usimende izoqala ukuqhekeka.” Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngokudedelwa kwamakhemikhali anobuthi enhlabathini, emanzini, nasemoyeni, inani labantu laqala ukuhlushwa amazinga aphezulu kakhulu omdlavuza nezinye izifo.
Ekugcineni, i-US Navy yanquma isiphetho saso sonke isiqhingi, okuhlanganisa imizila yemikhumbi, izindlela zezindiza, imithombo yamanzi, nemithetho yokuklama indawo endaweni esele yabantu, lapho izakhamuzi zazihlala zisongelwa ngokuxoshwa. Ngo-1961, i-navy empeleni yabhala uhlelo oluyimfihlo lokususa bonke abantu base-Vieques, ngisho nabafileyo behlelelwe ukumbiwa emathuneni abo. Kodwa uMbusi wasePuerto Rican uLuis Munoz Marin wangenela, futhi uMongameli wase-US uJohn F. Kennedy wavimba i-Navy ukuthi isebenzise lolu hlelo.
Ukungezwani okudala kushubile phakathi kweViequenses kanye nombutho wezempi wasolwandle kwabila kusukela ngo-1978 kuya ku-1983. Phakathi nokuqhuma kwamabhomu asolwandle ase-US futhi kwenyusa amasu ezempi, kwavela umbutho onamandla wendawo ophikisayo, oholwa abadobi bakulesi siqhingi. Izishoshovu zihileleke ekudwebeni, emibhikishweni, kanye nokungalaleli komphakathi-okumangalisa kakhulu, ngokuzibeka ngqo kulayini womlilo wezikhali ezicitshwayo, ngaleyo ndlela ziphazamise ukuzilolonga kwezempi. Njengoba ukuphathwa kwezakhamuzi zaseziqhingini kwaba ihlazo lamazwe ngamazwe, iCongress yaseMelika yabamba izigcawu mayelana nalolu daba ngo-1980 futhi yancoma ukuthi ibutho lasolwandle lihambe e-Vieques.
Kodwa leli gagasi lokuqala lombhikisho othandwayo, elihilela izinkulungwane zamaViequenses nabasekeli babo kulo lonke elasePuerto Rico nase-United States, lehlulekile ukuxosha ibutho lasolwandle esiqhingini. Phakathi neMpi Yomshoshaphansi, amasosha ase-US abambelela ngokuqinile ekusebenzeni kwawo e-Vieques. Futhi, ukuvelela emkhankasweni wokumelana nabashisekeli bezwe basePuerto Rican, nokuhambisana namahlelo, kwanciphisa ukukhanga kwenhlangano.
Ngawo-1990, nokho, ukunyakaza kokumelana okusekelwe kabanzi kwaqala ukwakheka. Yaqalwa ngo-1993 ngu IKomidi Lokuhlenga kanye Nokuthuthukiswa kwe-Vieques, yashesha ngokumelene nezinhlelo zezempi zasolwandle zokufakwa kwesistimu ye-radar ephazamisayo futhi Hamba ngemva kuka-April 19, 1999, lapho umshayeli wezempi wasolwandle wase-US ephonsa ngephutha amabhomu amabili angama-500 endaweni okuthiwa iphephile, kwashona isakhamuzi sase-Viequenses. “Lokho kwanyakazisa ukwazi kwabantu baseVieques nabasePuerto Rican njengokungathi awukho omunye umcimbi,” kukhumbula uRobert Rabin, umholi oyinhloko walokhu kuvukela. "Cishe masinyane saba nobumbano emikhawulweni yemibono, yezombangazwe, yezenkolo kanye neyendawo."
Ukugijima ngemuva kwesidingo se Ukuthula kwe-Vieques, lesi siphithiphithi esikhulu sezenhlalo sagxilisa kakhulu amasonto amaKatolika namaProthestani, kanye nenhlangano yezisebenzi, osaziwayo, abesifazane, abafundi basemanyuvesi, izalukazi, nezishoshovu ezingomakadebona. Amakhulu ezinkulungwane zabantu basePuerto Rico kulo lonke elasePuerto Rico kanye nabahlala kwamanye amazwe babambe iqhaza, kwathi ababalelwa ku-1,500 150,000 baboshelwe ukuhlala endaweni yokuqhuma kwamabhomu noma ezinye izenzo zokungalaleli umphakathi ongenalo udlame. Ngenkathi abaholi bezenkolo bebiza uMashi Wokuthula eVieques, ababhikishi abangaba ngu-XNUMX batheleka emigwaqweni yaseSan Juan kulokho okubikwa ukuthi kwakuwumbhikisho omkhulu kunayo yonke emlandweni wasePuerto Rico.
Ebhekene nalesi sivunguvungu sombhikisho, uhulumeni wase-US ekugcineni wavuma. Ngo-2003, i-US Navy ayigcinanga ngokumisa ukuqhuma kwamabhomu, kodwa yavala isizinda sayo samasosha ase-Roosevelt Roads futhi yahoxa ngokuphelele e-Vieques.
Naphezu kwalokhu kunqoba okukhulu kwenhlangano yabantu, i-Vieques isaqhubeka nokubhekana nayo izinselelo ezinzima namuhla. Lokhu kufaka phakathi izikhali ezingaqhume kanye nokungcoliswa okukhulu okuvela ezinsimbi ezisindayo namakhemikhali anobuthi akhishwe ngokuwa kwenani elilinganiselwe. amathani ayizigidigidi wezikhali, kuhlanganise ne-uranium ephelile, esiqhingini esincane. Ngenxa yalokho, i-Vieques manje iyindawo enkulu ye-Superfund Site, enomdlavuza nezinye izilinganiso zezifo ngaphezulu kakhulu kunakulo lonke elasePuerto Rico. Futhi, njengoba umnotho waso wendabuko ucekeleke phansi, lesi siqhingi sihlushwa ubumpofu obudlangile.
Noma kunjalo, abantu baseziqhingini, bengasavinjwa yizikhulu zamasosha, babhekene nalezi zinkinga ngokwakha kabusha okucatshangelwayo kanye nentuthuko yamaphrojekthi, okuhlanganisa. i-ecotourism. Rabin, owadonsa izigwebo ezintathu zasejele (okuhlanganisa nezinyanga eziyisithupha) ngenxa yezenzo zakhe zokubhikisha, manje uqondisa Bala i-Mirasol Fort―isikhungo esake sasebenza njengejele lezigqila ezingalawuleki kanye nabasebenzi bomoba abatelekile, kodwa manje sihlinzeka ngamagumbi eMnyuziyamu waseVieques, imihlangano yomphakathi kanye nemikhosi, izinqolobane zomlando, kanye neRadio Vieques.
Yiqiniso, umzabalazo ophumelelayo wama-Viequenses wokukhulula isiqhingi sabo emithwalweni yezempi nawo unikeza umthombo wethemba kubantu emhlabeni jikelele. Lokhu kuhlanganisa abantu bakulo lonke elase-United States, abaqhubeka nokukhokha inani elikhulu lezomnotho nelomuntu ngamalungiselelo amakhulu kahulumeni wabo zempi kanye nezimpi ezingapheli.
ULawrence Wittner (https://www.lawrenceswittner.com/ ) unguProfesa we-Emeritus Emlandweni ku-SUNY / Albany nomlobi we Ukubhekana neBhomu (I-Stanford University Press).
