Present oblivion

The effects and consequences of Puerto Rico’s territorial status are felt everyday, especially so in matters related to Culebra and Vieques. Debates are still ongoing regarding the true impact of the military exercises on the islands, as are efforts to ensure a proper clean up of the former practice sites. The extent of the bombings is so large, that more than 4 decades after the Navy left Culebra, there are still reports of individuals getting hurt by leftover shells.

As a matter of fact, with the clean up efforts taking so long, to this day Puerto Rico depends on Senators it cannot vote for to pressure the executive branch to prioritize the oft-forgotten islands. Impacted for decades to come from being forced to develop around a strong military presence, both Culebra and Vieques now also reel in the Navy’s absence in areas like tourism, development, and ecological maintenance.

With the military’s departure, the decades-long practice bombing of Vieques stopped, and the island has become one of the more exclusive tourist destinations in the Caribbean. But the cleanup of the bombing range on an island the Navy once called its “crown jewel” of live-fire training is expected to take another decade, and the mayor of Vieques noted the island of roughly 10,000 people still has no hospital to treat illnesses ranging from cancer to asthma that local residents blame on military activity. Mayor Victor Emeric said Vieques is battling an unemployment rate of nearly 20 percent and depends on a crippled ferry system that serves as the primary link to the main island of Puerto Rico. “Time passed and everyone forgot about us,” said Emeric, who was born and raised in Vieques. “None of the development that we expected has occurred.” Vieques ponders future 10 years after Navy left, by Danica Coto, Associated Press. May 1, 2013. The San Diego Union-Tribune

The apparent neglect of federal authorities with Puerto Rico is particularly exacerbated in Culebra and Vieques; this exemplified by how more than 8 months after Hurricane Maria struck, the only municipalities of Puerto Rico which remain entirely dependent on power generators for their electricity, are precisely the two islands municipalities.