Elian Gonzalez is held in a closet by Donato Dalrymple, one of the two men
who rescued the Cuban boy from the ocean, as U.S. federal agents search for the young boy in Miami, Fla., on April 22, 2000.
This was not one of Janet Reno's finest moments. I can remember watching this exact scene on television when federal agents swooped in to "rescue" this young boy. My heart ached at the horror! And the horror was not having to be returned to Cuba, his homeland, rather the horror of having a swat-like team in his face which no doubt left a lasting image of terror for this small child.
Elian at that very moment, became an icon of propaganda; for the United States and later for Cuba. The event ended in victory for Castro and Cuba but only because the United States chose to make it so. The U.S. was so quick to wave the flag of freedom and rub the Communist's nose in it, that it never once thought what was best for this young child.
Elian's mother's choice was to leave Cuba and in making that decision she took her young child with her and she would become one of many Cuban raft-people that would end up dieing in their attempt to reach 'freedom' and the shores of the United States, the young boy survived the trip and was rescued in Florida. Elian closest living relative was his father who resided in Cuba.
Politics aside, it would seem basic law would dictate that the child be returned to his father. In this case the problem was that the father resided in Cuba - returning the child would be akin to returning him to Hades and his satanic parental unit.
Sadly this event was just another that is becoming a long list of embarrassments for the United States. Below is a photo of a handsome young Elian, age 16, as he attends a meeting of the Union of Young Communists in Havana, Cuba in April of 2010.
I always hoped Elian would become a famous drag queen. It would have been fun to see what Cuba did with that. But surprisingly, Cuba's turned the corner and they're holding trans weddings and being supportive of gay people. I guess they'd be fine with a cross-dressing Elian. I know this is a comment from left field but what can I say? I did indeed hope the boy would become a drag queen.
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