German Army - Vieques (2018)

While having a quick lunch break I received a notification on my handy Instagram account. It was Madriguera telling me that the tape was ready for production. I was further informed that they needed a blurb to accompany the release-- which is always a challenge for me, as I don’t like talking about my projects.

While thinking about this task and attempting to work at the same time my phone flashed with a BBC update about Puerto Rico. During a break, I opened up my news app and noticed the update had already drifted down the feed. The report stated that Hurricane Maria killed 4,600 people. I stopped and thought. Waited for someone to text me about their outrage. Waited longer. Thought more. That was twice as many as were killed in Katrina. Where was the outrage? Katrina had helped to ruin a second term president. I waited longer. Nothing.

I can't help but think that there is comfortable neglect between the U.S, its people and the people of Puerto Rico. 4,600 die and nothing. No outrage. Just comfortable neglect. As food and water fail to reach United States citizens, comfortable neglect.

It shouldn't surprise me though. This is nothing new. I won't bore you on the details but ever since the Island’s takeover by the US, there is nothing but neglect regarding Puerto Rico on our end. When there is not neglect there is just open hostility.

Occasionally there is economic colonialism such as operation bootstrap. Or forced birth control, as witnessed on the women of the country working in factories. You can read the lessons of Resistance in Paradise if you wish to know more.
In many ways, this neglect and occasional bullying are just a case study for U.S policy throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. Puerto Rico just always seems to stand out a bit more due to the fact it is actually filled with US citizens.

We can look at policies in Haiti and Jamaica and pretty much understand this is the consistent attitude of U.S. A great documentary that touches on economic colonialism is Life and Debt, highly recommended for viewing or if you have the time read Laurent Dubois’s Haiti: The Aftershocks of History.

The album is titled Vieques with good reason. The behavior of the U.S military on the island is hostile, and yet the attitude of the populace is still neglect. Comfortable neglect. I hope you can learn on your own and do something in regards to this state of affairs as all of the Caribbean could use another advocate here in the states.