Tag: Raul Castro

Elian Wants To Return To America

 

InselianIt’s been just over 15 years since federal agents seized Elian Gonzalez at the home of his Miami relatives. The story of the six-year-old boy’s escape from Cuba and the resulting high stakes custody battle dominated headlines in the first half of 2000. In the wake of Bush v Gore later that year, many pundits speculated that the Clinton Administration’s insistence on repatriating Elian may have swung Florida, albeit narrowly, over to George W Bush.

The story was largely forgotten after 9/11. In the years since, occasional interviews with Juan Miguel, Elian’s father, and carefully staged photo-ops between Elian and senior officials in the Cuban regime, acted as reminders of the Gonzalez tragedy. Typical accounts of the saga recall the story as “polarizing” and note that a majority of the American people wanted Elian returned to his father. Much of the Cuban-American community, which opposed the repatriation, was widely vilified by the mainstream press for putting ideology ahead of family.

An ABC interview aired last night is the first the now-adult Elian Gonzalez has given:

Obama: Cuban Information Minister?

 

21prexy-span-articleLargeTwo relatively recent photos of Barack Obama with foreign leaders reveal much about his deep-dyed leftism. The first features President Obama and democratically-elected Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, leader of one of America’s most loyal friends. Obama looks strained. His face is stiff, and his eyes are veiled. The second is a snap of Obama at the recent Summit of the Americas in Panama. He’s seated with “President” Raul Castro, leader of a bitter enemy, who has never received a single free vote. Obama is grinning, his eyes dancing with pleasure.

150411175532-02-obama-castro-meeting-041115-large-169In contrast to the bitterness with which Obama addresses Netanyahu, he is all honey with Castro.“So I want to thank President Castro for the spirit of openness and courtesy that he has shown during our interactions .  . . President Castro earlier today spoke about the significant hardships that the people of Cuba have undergone over many decades.  I can say with all sincerity that the essence of my policy . . . is to make sure that the people of Cuba are able to prosper and live in freedom and security . . . “

Did you catch that? Castro was assigning blame for the “hardships” Cuba has endured since the revolution to the U.S. — and Obama was agreeing with him! It wasn’t the first time. Back in December, when he first announced the opening of diplomatic relations with Cuba, Obama said “I believe in the free flow of information. Unfortunately, our sanctions on Cuba have denied Cubans access to technology that has empowered individuals around the globe.” So the U.S. embargo is responsible for the Cuban peoples’ denial of the “free flow of information.” Not Cuba’s iron-fisted repression? A Cuban propaganda minister couldn’t have put it better.