In the 1940s, the U.S. Navy expropriated the island of Vieques off the coast of Puerto Rico to use for military training and explosive weapons testing. Inhabitants were moved and their homes razed to make room for the naval base. But the complaints of residents who were being poisoned by fall-out and deafened by explosions went unheard.

In this film, the islanders recount the grim story of the "occupation," their suffering from high cancer rates due to the fall-out of heavy metal particles, and the poisoning of the fish. While the U.S. was paid $98 million a year by foreign governments to use Vieques for weapons testing and military training, none of the money was passed on to the residents of the island.

Gradually a protest movement grew among the remaining islanders. In 1999, after two misfired bombs accidentally killed a civilian security guard, the movement became more passionate and better organized. Finally, in 2003, the Navy ceased all testing and training on the island. This was the first step in a complicated process of demilitarization, decontamination, and development of the community.

Many inhabitants still chafe at the fact that a large parcel of land has been declared a nature preserve and therefore off limits for housing. Nevertheless, this is a David and Goliath-like story of a community reclaiming its land against enormous odds.

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Spotlight Related Websites:
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Vieques Vive
Vieques National Wildlife Refuge