By The Star Staff
Following the discovery in Vieques of wreckage that may apparently come from an 18th century Spanish vessel, the mayor of the offshore island municipality, José “Junito” Corcino Acevedo, said the remains will be evaluated so that they can eventually be restored and presented to the general public.
“We are committed to our heritage as a town,” the mayor said. “These remains, which some experts tell us are from a Spanish vessel from the 18th century or possibly the 19th century, including a cannon, will be examined carefully by experts in the field. We are currently evaluating possible experts in the field who we will be contacting soon to study these remains in detail.”
“We have been in direct and constant communication with personnel from the Puerto Rican Institute of Culture, as well as with marine archaeologists and shipwreck experts,” Corcino added. “We are making arrangements with other experts on the subject, particularly in the state of Florida. This is a matter that we will deal with professionally and always with the goal of preserving this heritage for our people.”
The remains of the vessel were found by a fisherman off the southern coast of Vieques last week.
“The first part is to corroborate the identity of these pieces of the vessel, their origin and even the name of the vessel,” Corcino said. “Then, it is to study and implement a conservation and restoration program, in accordance with municipal, state and federal regulations, which govern the preservation of artifacts of historical value. What I can make clear is that the remains of this vessel will remain here, in Vieques, and at some point we will be presenting it to the people so that they can learn about its history.”
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