Vieques Cancer and Health Crisis

For six decades (1941-2003), the U.S. Navy used the island of Vieques as a bombing range, firing live ammunition and dropping bombs on the eastern two-thirds of the island while approximately 9,300 residents lived in the narrow strip between the bombing ranges.

The environmental and health consequences have been devastating. Studies have documented:

• Cancer rates 27% higher than on the Puerto Rican mainland
• Significantly elevated rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, and respiratory illness
• Contamination of soil and water with heavy metals including mercury, lead, cadmium, and depleted uranium
• Presence of napalm, Agent Orange, and other toxic chemicals in the soil
• Dead zones in surrounding waters where marine life has been destroyed

Despite the Navy's departure in 2003, the cleanup has been painfully slow. The EPA designated parts of Vieques as a Superfund site, but the Department of Defense has resisted full remediation. As of 2024, large portions of the island remain fenced off and contaminated.

The Vieques health crisis is a direct consequence of the colonial relationship: the U.S. military treated the island and its people as expendable, using their home as a weapons testing ground for over 60 years.