Apparently only a war is reason enough for the U.S. Navy to abandon practice bombardment of Vieques, Puerto Rico. Late January training exercises by the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy battlegroup were moved to live-fire ranges in Florida and North Carolina. Governor Sila Calderon urged President Bush to cancel the exercises because Puerto Rican support for peace in Vieques is undiminished by the so-called "war on terrorism." Saving face, the Pentagon hedged on January 8, saying only that the move made for quicker training and battle deployment.

The war on Vieques, however, retained its front in federal court in Puerto Rico. On January 15, Judge Fusté imposed maximum trespass sentences of six months in federal prison on Carlos "Taso" Zenón, leader of the Fishermen's Association of Vieques, and his 19-year old son Yabureibo for recent maritime actions to impede U.S. Navy bombing of Vieques.

On December 22, Judge Lafitte sent Puerto Rican state senator Norma Burgos back to prison for 20 days

On December 27, two other sons of Carlos Zenón, Cacimar and Pedro Zenón, were sentenced to 13 days in prison for their protests.

Three days in prison was the sentence given December 29 by Federal Judge Dominguez to brothers Héctor and Angel Manuel Ventura, Viequense fishermen working in waters the Navy claims.

And although the January training exercises were canceled, the Bush administration has not agreed to stop the bombing before the previously announced date of May, 2003. Meanwhile, the main organizations of the Vieques struggle - the Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques (CRDV) and the Vieques Women´s Alliance - and the diverse working groups (Horsemen for Peace; Luisa Guadalupe, Milivy, and Mount Carmelo Camps; Vieques Youth United; Vieques Veterans for Peace; among others) have been meeting among themselves and with All Puerto Rico for Vieques and other groups on the main island to improve communication, share resources and work together towards demilitarization, decontamination, and return of lands and sustainable, community development of a free Vieques.

In a holiday message to supporters the CRDV reaffirmed that "The struggle of Vieques is much more than for the immediate and permanent cessation of bombing - it is a struggle to end sixty years of violations of the human rights and dignity of our people. It is a struggle or protest, but with a strong sense of proposal for a Vieques Libre, in the hands of the community that possesses a positive vision of healthy, sustainable development for future generations."

Early in January, the CRDV announced that thousands of feet of the fence separating the civilian sector from the Navy´s restricted zone have been dismantled by activists preparing for the Navy's exercises.

The Puerto Rican police continue to be criticized for serving the Navy rather than the community by the detention of various protesters on the outskirts of the Navy base, the arrest of two young women for allegedly throwing a "molotov cocktail" and the participation as witnesses in various other cases against protesters. After Puerto Rico Maritime Police testimony helped convict Carlos and Yabureibo Zenon, CRDV spokeswoman Nilda Medina charged "both the Superintendent of Police as well as the Governor contradict themselves by saying they want peace for Vieques while they help the Navy, that for 60 years has waged war against the people here."

Puerto Rican police also took part in the local prosecution of CRDV leaders Nilda Medinez and Robert Rabin, and local businessman Luis Le Guillou, when they were in Vieques court January 25 on charges related to two different incidents of obstructing military vehicles that regularly cross the civilian sector of the island. In both cases, scores of others had joined the blockades, but only local leadership was charged. At the same time, Luis Mateo was charged with interfering with Navy activity at Camp Luisa Guadalupe. These four cases are all still pending.

Two leaders of the Puerto Rican Independence Party, Fernando Martin and Vance Thomas, were before Judge Lafitte on January 17, over their refusal to pay fines for Vieques protest. The men have already served time in jail, so the judge ordered their paychecks seized to pay the fines.

February 13 brought the return to Puerto Rico from the federal prison in New York City of Alberto "Tito Kayak" De Jesús Mercado. He will complete his one year sentence for Vieques protests at a halfway house in Puerto Rico. Also on the 13th, the Navy resumed "open detonation" of ordinance on the Vieques bombing range, casting pollutants again into the air along with sounds of warfare. The practice is under legal challenge due to its environmental impact, but resumed nonetheless.

In New York City, Vieques supporters arrested at the U.N. last May have had their trial postponed again until March.

Oscar Lopez Rivera, imprisoned Puerto Rican independentista, will run 500 miles in jail, aiming to get runners from diverse backgrounds to support the cause for peace in Vieques. Lopez Rivera's hope is that various individuals and groups will participate in the months-long event through the summer. Write to Oscar Lopez Rivera #87651-024, POB 33, Terre Haute, IN 47808.

For more information about what's happening in Vieques, contact the Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques, P.O. Box 1424, Vieques, PR 00765, (787)741-0716, bieke@prdigital.com

Letters of support should be sent to Alberto De Jesús Mercado #19580-069, c/o CRDV, POB 1424, Vieques, PR 00765, and individually addressed to Carlos Zenón #23214-069 and Yabureibo Zenón #23213-069, MDC Guaynabo, POB 2147, San Juan, PR 00922-2147.

The costs of maintaining the Peace and Justice Camp - office of the CRDV and principal organizing space for the Vieques struggle - are enormous. The Camp asks for the support of all those in solidarity with this struggle, who can send a donation to the CRDV (address above) or to the Banco Popular bank account #112 868231.