Culebra: The First Victory Against Military Colonialism (1970-1975)

Before Vieques, there was Culebra — and Culebra proved that the empire could be pushed back.

The Problem:
- Culebra, a small island (7 miles by 4 miles) with approximately 600 residents, had been used by the U.S. Navy for bombing practice since 1901
- Navy exercises on Flamenco Beach and surrounding areas disrupted fishing, damaged homes, endangered residents, and destroyed the island's ecology
- Residents lived under constant noise, vibration, and the threat of errant ordnance
- The Navy controlled approximately one-third of Culebra's land area

The Movement:
In 1970, Culebra's residents launched a campaign to end the bombing:
- Rubén Berríos Martínez, president of the Puerto Rico Independence Party, led civil disobedience campaigns — occupying the bombing range and getting arrested repeatedly
- Local fishermen organized protests, refusing to leave fishing waters during exercises
- Community leaders filed legal challenges
- Puerto Rican politicians from all parties (including statehood advocates) supported the campaign
- International attention was drawn to the absurdity: the U.S. Navy bombing a community of American citizens
- Protesters squatted on the bombing range, forcing the Navy to choose between bombing American citizens and canceling exercises

The Victory:
- In 1971, President Nixon ordered the Navy to stop bombing Culebra by 1975
- The Navy resisted, seeking extensions and alternatives
- Political pressure continued
- The Navy ceased bombing exercises on Culebra in 1975
- Navy operations were transferred to... Vieques — setting the stage for the next struggle

Significance:
1. Proof of concept: Culebra proved that Puerto Rican resistance could force military withdrawal — a lesson that energized the later Vieques movement
2. Cross-party unity: The campaign united independentistas, estadistas, and populares — demonstrating that anti-military colonialism transcended political divisions
3. Civil disobedience: The tactic of physically occupying the bombing range established the template for Vieques protests 25 years later
4. The transfer problem: The Navy simply moved operations to Vieques — demonstrating that colonial concessions in one area can produce colonial intensification in another
5. Berríos's role: The Culebra campaign established Rubén Berríos as a major figure in Puerto Rican politics and demonstrated the effectiveness of non-violent resistance

Culebra was the rehearsal; Vieques was the main event. But without Culebra's success, the Vieques movement might never have believed victory was possible.