Culebra: The Forgotten Bombing Range

Culebra's story is usually overshadowed by Vieques — but it is where Puerto Rico first successfully challenged the U.S. military's use of its islands as bombing ranges.

The Military Presence:
- The U.S. Navy established a presence on Culebra shortly after the 1898 invasion
- Culebra and its surrounding cays (small islands) were used for naval gunnery practice, bombing exercises, and amphibious landing training
- The Navy controlled approximately one-third of Culebra's land area
- Bombing exercises occurred regularly — sometimes without adequate warning to residents
- The noise, danger, and environmental destruction made normal life nearly impossible on parts of the island

The Impact:
1. Physical danger: Unexploded ordnance littered the landscape; residents lived with the constant risk of accidental detonation
2. Environmental destruction: Bombing destroyed coral reefs, marine habitats, and coastal ecosystems
3. Economic suppression: Military control of land prevented economic development — fishing, agriculture, and tourism were all constrained
4. Displacement: Residents were periodically evacuated from their homes during exercises
5. Health concerns: Exposure to munitions residue raised health concerns (though less documented than in Vieques)

The Resistance:
The movement to remove the Navy from Culebra was one of Puerto Rico's most significant anti-colonial struggles:
- Rubén Berríos Martínez — president of the Puerto Rican Independence Party — led civil disobedience campaigns on Culebra, including occupying the bombing range
- Local residents organized to demand the Navy's departure
- The Puerto Rican government (under Governor Rafael Hernández Colón) supported the campaign
- International attention was drawn to the situation
- In 1971, Berríos and others were arrested for trespassing on the bombing range — making national headlines

The Resolution:
- In 1975, the Navy agreed to cease bombing exercises on Culebra
- However, the Navy did not leave — it transferred its exercises to Vieques
- This 'victory' for Culebra came at the direct expense of Vieques — creating a pattern where colonial burdens are shifted between communities rather than eliminated
- The unexploded ordnance cleanup on Culebra has been slow and incomplete

The Legacy:
Culebra's struggle established precedents:
1. Civil disobedience could force the U.S. military to change its practices in Puerto Rico
2. Coalition building between local residents, Puerto Rican political parties, and international supporters was effective
3. The Navy could be held accountable — even if imperfectly
4. But the colonial framework remained: the military simply moved its operations to another Puerto Rican island