12:21 am
Happy Birthday, Elian Gonzalez
Elian Gonzalez turned 15 yesterday. You can find a recent photo here. Sadly, the Cuban Government has decided that he is too valuable a propaganda tool to let him live his life quietly:
As part of his birthday celebration, Elián visited the Museum of the Battle of Ideas and “fraternized with relatives of the five Cuban antiterrorists imprisoned in the United States,” Prensa Latina said, referring to the five men convicted in Miami in 1998 of espionage conspiracy and operating as unregistered foreign agents.
Earlier this year he joined the Young Communists. Something tells me that wasn’t his idea.
I favored the return of Elian, not only because he belonged with his dad, but also because he had become little more than a prop used by cynical Cuban-Americans to highlight the terrible policies of the Castro regime. To be clear, I had no illusions that the Cuban government would be any less cynical. It’s just sad to see that, nine years later, they haven’t stopped using him as a prop.
It’s very possible that he loves his life, that he is popular, enjoys the spotlight, even enjoys the fame. He probably has a great relationship with his dad and both of them probably enjoy perks that average Cubans don’t enjoy. It is very possible that he’s happy.
But I wonder. Does he ever think about his mom? Does he remember that harrowing trip where she lost her life and somehow found a way for him to survive? Does he ever miss her? Does he remember what she looks like?
Because something tells me that the Castro regime isn’t making any effort to preserve her memory.
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