US Navy Arrives in Vieques

1940s

In 1941, the US Congress approved a series of laws authorizing the US Navy to establish a military facility in the island of Vieques, an island that is part of the archipelago of Puerto Rico. Between 1941 and 1950, the US Navy acquired 25,353 acres of Vieques land. Many barrios disappeared as a consequence of the expropriations, including Punta Arenas, Llave, and Mosquito. The population was re-concentrated into the middle of the island: "The number of those affected by the evictions ranges between a quarter and 65% of the population of the island" (Ayala and Carro Figueroa 2006, 189). The Vieques civil population suffered a 84 percent reduction of its land area between 1940 and 1950. Most of the land expropriated by the US Navy was owned by rich families linked to sugar and cattle production. But most of the families evicted were working families (agregados or arrimados) living on the lands of sugar mill owners. Sugar cane production, cattle production, and the commercial sector could not continue its development due to the US Navy presence. Vieques economy collapsed and unemployment became rampant.

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