Hey y'all,
Last weekend in Vieques the Festival of the Virgin Carmen was held. She
is the patron saint of fishermen and every year the municipality has a
festival in her honor. Except this year. The mayor of Vieques Manuela
Santiago announced that there was no money for a festival this year. The
word is that the Navy leaned on her to not have a festival because any
grouping of Viequenses will naturally turn into a protest. They're right
of course, but even a broken clock tells the right time twice a day.
The festival was organized this year by members of the community and for
four nights and days there was music, theater, pinchos (mmm, meat on a
stick), and a whole lot of Marina Fuera! It was kinda like a vigil with
beer. A relaxed way for people to protest while the kids run around.
Saturday night was packed with more than a thousand people collected to
hear Roy Brown and Danny Rivera. Danny Rivera sings romantic songs and
is a heart throb from the 70's who still makes the ladies sigh. The
crowd loved him and he played a long set. At the end of his last song,
about how one should "love the lovers", he called for everyone in the
audience to take their lover in their arms (if you were alone, you were
supposed to hug yourself), concentrate on contuining to struggle
together for peace in Vieques, and kiss. Oh, and the moon was full and
lingering behind the stage. The audience melted.
But the crowd of Saturday was dwarfed by Sunday's crowd. Standing room
only in the park as people jammed in to see Sunshine Logroņo, a comic
who has the most popular radio show and two television shows. He came
with the cast of his show El Condominio to perform a piece of
vaudeville/agit prop. The statehood doctor who coos about how happy
he is to be in Vieques, protected by the Navy like a babe in the arms of
his mother. The audience hoots mercilessly. The old man in a nasty old
man robe with inflamed prostate gland, i mean really really inflamed.
The condo president whose intestines are in a state of civil
disobedience from the ferry ride. The lusty widow and the lustier still
maintenance man. The kid who changes his name from Elpidio to Elpidio
Kayak. A pretty amazing combination of left politics, toilet humor, and
raunchy jokes.
Earlier in the day, there was the parade led by the Suzuki car club. And
our fav- the Vieques Youth United. Did they paint their bodies? you ask.
Is the pope catholic? At the front were four women carrying banners,
faces painted as Puertorican flags. Next the Navy, a squad of six with
faces painted camouflage, marching with cardboard machine guns. Behind
them, Uncle Sam and Satan--pitchfork, horns, body paint, the works.
Uncle Sam meanwhile offered to buy people with play money. Then three
women and a little girl as angels blowing bubbles. At the end of the
parade a truck with sound system blasting calypso music, a crowd dancing
behind it. As the truck pulled into the festival it turned into the
calypso chant party... Vieques Si! Marina No! Jump!Jump!Jump!
BACK HERE in San Juan on the legal front, there is the case of the 131
Pipiolos(indepentistas) in jail. They of course were all rounded up for
not paying their bail and stuck out in Guaynabo City Federal prison. A
camp has been formed outside the barb wire of the prison where family
members collect and last Thursday a mass was held by members of the
religious coalition. Banners hang on the fence and on a electrical tower
all facing in to the prison with messages of support --Luisa, your
family is here! Rafa, I love you!
They've been there for about three weeks now. Finally yesterday the
first 24 went before judges. Two groups of twelve, two different judges.
First group, time served, thank you and goodbye. Second group, 96 hours
of community service, one year probation with a prohibition of
re-entering restricted areas, and a $1,000 fine. Once again, they're
going to refuse to pay the fine just like they refused to pay the bail.
The thing about not paying the fine is that it ups the charges. It's a
crime not to pay. And one of the consequences of breaking that law as
well is that it may disqualify one for running for office.
MEANWHILE IN JAPAN...The G-8 is meeting in Okinawa, site of a whole slew
of US military bases. Meeting there as well are anti-imperialists from
around the globe, who the other day surrounded a US base with a human
chain of 27,000 people. There to offer boating tips is Carlos Zenon.
While Ismael Guadalupe is in South Korea.
POLICE ART--So those riot police in Vieques have been getting creative.
While not on duty they sit inside their pen which is a chain link fenced
in area that resembles, well, uh a prison. With empty bottles of water
they have spelled out in foot tall letters CAMP D.O.T. (division of
tactical operations) and the names of the cities that they're from. They
also have made a water bottle representation of the patch that they wear
on their sleeve: the words VOLUNTAD and SERVICIO (will and service)
around a riot helmet and club beneath it that looks like a skull and
cross bones.
take care, dave