ELIAN IS ONLY HALFWAY HOME

[jacdon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

A number of progressive and left organizations throughout
the United States and the world have been fighting for months to
return Elian Gonzalez back to his family in Cuba.  Our local group
in New York's Hudson Valley is part of that movement. Following
is the statement by the Mid-Hudson National People?s Campaign
and regional International Action Center on the news that
Elian has been freed from captivity in Miami.

Jack A. Smith, Highland, N.Y.


ELIAN IS ONLY HALFWAY HOME  (4/22/00)

        Elian Gonzalez is now with his father and this is an initial victory
for human rights, child rights and family rights.  It is also a victory
for Cuba, which, of course, was always the principal target of the
diehards within the Miami community who used and abused this little boy
for their narrow political advantage.
        It took five months to extract Elian from the clutches of his distant
Miami family.  It need never have happened had the Clinton
administration taken prompt action from the beginning.  The Immigration
and Naturalization Service determined within days of his rescue that
Elian had a loving father in Cuba who wanted him returned immediately.
The process was dragged out for several more weeks to placate the
hotheads in Little Havana who wanted to continue exploiting the child in
order to humiliate the Cuban government.  The INS finally ruled in early
January that the boy should be reunited with his father, Juan Miguel
Gonzalez, in Cuba, but the Justice Department procrastinated for three
and a half more months before finally bringing him to his father--now
waiting in the U.S.  During this time the child has been manipulated and
traumatized repeatedly by his ?loving? kidnappers.
        A nationwide movement in support of sending Elian home has developed in
the United States over the past five months.  In our region, there have
been three demonstrations (in Kingston, New Paltz and Woodstock) to
return to the boy to his family and homeland, organized by the
Mid-Hudson National People?s Campaign and the Caribbean and Latin
America Support Project (CLASP).   Also, to our knowledge over 100 local
people with whom we have been in direct touch have written letters to
the editors and phoned, Emailed or faxed U.S. government officials to
demand Elian?s return home.
        The job of those who support the return of this family to Cuba is not
yet over.   Elian and his family must be allowed to return home as soon
as possible.  Juan Miguel has agreed to remain in the U.S. with his son
during the process of court appeals.  But, judging by the performance of
Lazaro Gonzalez and his handlers from the hard-line rightist
organizations in Little Havana, legal roadblock after roadblock will be
placed in the way of returning Elian, his father, step-mother and little
brother to Cuba in the near future.  It is conceivable the process of
legal delay and sabotage could take months and even years.  This is not
necessary or acceptable.  We must demand  an expedited legal process
within a matter of weeks or be prepared to once again return to our
picketlines, letters and phone calls.  Let?s make sure this initial
victory becomes a final victory for his loving family and the entire
Cuban people who have marched and demonstrated tirelessly on behalf of
this boy.
        Restoring Elian to his father means he is halfway home.  Let?s make
sure he goes all the way, promptly.