Secretary Richard Danzig
U.S. Navy
The Pentagon
Alexandria, Va. 20350

Dear Secretary Danzig:

As President of the national Association of Hispanic Journalists, the largest Latino journalism organization in the country, I am writing you to express concern over a current case before the U.S. District Court in Puerto Rico.

Last June, the U.S. government charged eleven journalists with trespassing on a U.S. Naval base on the island of Vieques while covering a protest against the U.S. Navy. On November 30, the court denied a request by the journalists to dismiss the charges against them.

Since then the employers of seven of the defendants have entered guilty pleas and paid fines. Four defendants await trial scheduled for January 10, 2001.

We have serious concerns about the government's decision to criminally prosecute these journalists. An open society demands that news people be present at the scene of important events and we believe that this trial will have a chilling effect on the free exercise of those rights in Puerto Rico.

We ask you, as the top official in the U.S. Navy, to reconsider these trials. If carried out, not only will they have an intimidating effect on journalists, but they will also have a negative effect on the citizens of Puerto Rico depriving them of information on an issue of vital importance.

Sincerely,

Cecilia Alvear

NAHJ President