Guam governor clarifies she doesn’t support nuclear armament
Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero clarifies that she was misrepresented in articles and editorials published by Radio New Zealand regarding her stance on nuclear armament in the Marianas. Leon Guerrero, instead, says she does not support the presence of any nuclear armament in Guam or the Pacific.
Over a week ago, Our Common Wealth 670, a group believed to be established by local CNMI residents, wrote to Gov. Arnold I Palacios asking him to champion an opposition to Leon Guerrero’s comments on Radio New Zealand “in defense” of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles in Guam.
“We are writing in regards to a recent Radio New Zealand interview with the Honorable Governor of Guam, Lou Leon Guerrero. In her interview, Gov. Leon Guerrero defends the use of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles on Guam. We find this latest development troubling given our island’s historical stance against the introduction of nuclear storage and waste,” said the letter.
“As a community organization dedicated to protecting our islands, seas and community from irreparable damage caused by harmful developments such as militarization, we write with urgent and grave concern to urge government officials to continue to support the voices of our people by speaking out against the introduction of nuclear weapons, storage and waste in our region of the world, let alone within our Marianas archipelago and surrounding waters. There is perhaps nothing more threatening to our islands and way of life than nuclear weapons which have the ability to destroy places for countless generations down the line,” the letter further states.
Leon Guerrero, in a clarification letter to RNZ chief news officer Mark Stevens, said she was misrepresented in editorials and articles published by RNZ.
“Most recently, following an interview with RNZ reporter Eleisha Foon, articles and editorials were published that misrepresented my comments about my views on nuclear weapons and the possibility of a future war, causing undue distress among our regional community. Ms. Foon brought her perspective to the interview and many other interviews, which asserted that by building up the defense of Guam, we are attracting war to Micronesia and the greater Pacific… To be clear: I do not support the presence of any nuclear armament in Guam or the Pacific. Nor do I support the escalation to nuclear warfare. I stated that Guam will likely be at risk for potential conflicts because of our strategic location in the Western Pacific which controls access to Asia trade routes. Disputes in this area could escalate into military actions. I reiterate, Guam must be prepared and must be secured,” she said.
Leon Guerrero said it is important to the people of Guam to correct misunderstandings of how Pacific Island leaders perceive their community and their strategic value to the U.S. and allies.
“Our region’s heightened security is due to China’s well publicized strategy to take over Taiwan and the disputed South China Seas. On a near-weekly basis, North Korea fires missiles toward Guam in an attempt to improve its deadly technology with every effort. The Leon Guerrero-Tenorio Administration continues to track and monitor military growth plans with our DoD partners, strategic government agencies, and leaders in our community, so that we may make our concerns loud and clear while also keeping residents updated with build-up related issues. Keeping the community involved requires a multi-faceted approach, including but not limited to researching the impacts on civilian housing, land, environment, and cultural resources. Since the beginning of this administration, we have worked in collaboration with community partners to include providing scoping comments on the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) actions issued by the DoD. The administration continues to engage military leadership, various Government of Guam agencies, and external stakeholders to prioritize the safety, security, and prosperity of the people of Guam throughout this process of hardening our borders and national defense. I believe strongly in diplomacy and efforts to stabilize Pacific democracies, and I am pleased to see so many efforts to do so. More U.S embassies are opening. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) just attended the recent Micronesian Island Forum meeting on Guam. And I am excited about their additional efforts to push more resources into the Pacific to support defense, supply chain, and cyber security systems. In closing, Guam is an active member of many Pacific regional organizations, and we all face similar challenges. Our Guam government and community leaders are eager to strengthen our ties and friendships with neighbors in the Pacific to meet our objective of peace and prosperity for our region,” she said.
Lou Leon Guerrero
