In 1963, María Velázquez moved to Vieques with her husband, Carmelo Félix Matta. In the coming decades, María and Carmelo would become the protagonists of various land rescues in Vieques that would challenge the US Navy control over Vieques's…
As a consequence of the evictions conducted by the US Navy in Vieques, María Velázquez's family had to emigrate to Saint Croix. She explains that she was born not in Vieques but instead in Saint Croix, and she later grew up in New York. She narrates…
In 1964, various Viequense families began to build houses in the area known as "El Cerca'o de Pablito," a piece of land that was part of the the US Navy territory in Vieques. The area became known as Bravos de Boston, one of the first rescues of…
Ismael Guadalupe shows a letter from June 25, 1942 in which Celestina Pérez requested a piece of land to the US Navy, after being evicted from her home.
Viequenses attempted to rescue the area of "El Cerca'o de Coco" but the US Navy intervened and ended the land rescue. Years later Viequenses were successful in this land rescue and the area became known as Villa Borinquen.
