Elián González Set to Become Cuban Lawmaker

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Facts

  • Cuba's communist-party official media reported on Monday that Elián González, whose custody battle during the turn of the millennium stoked Cold War-era tensions between the US and Cuba, has been nominated to serve in the country's National Assembly.
  • González was five years old when he was rescued at sea and brought ashore to the US by fishermen on Thanksgiving Day in 1999. He entered the custody of relatives living in Miami after he was rescued at sea from a small craft he was on board with his mother; his mother died on the journey.
  • His father, Juan Miguel González, fought for his custody and his return to Cuba with the support of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, while his relatives and the anti-Castro exile community vowed to keep him in the US, claiming he would become a propaganda symbol in Castro's feud with the US.
  • González was forcibly deported from Florida to Cuba on orders of the US Supreme Court in Apr. 2000, with then-Attorney General Janet Reno directing an early morning seizure of the boy at gunpoint. Upon his return to Havana, he was treated like a hero.
  • He told state-run media in 2013 that Castro, who himself attended González's seventh birthday party, knew the right path for Cubans. Later, he stated that the country's leader had become a father figure to him.
  • The now 29-year-old industrial engineer, who is currently an executive at a public company, is running to represent the city of Cárdenas in the 470-seat parliament. Candidates appointed by municipal delegates last week have yet to be approved by voters in late March.

Sources: CNN, The Washington Times, CNN, Guardian, Huffington Post, and France 24.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by World News Era. Despite vows that he would return to his old life, González has too often been in the public spotlight as Fidel Castro godfathered him after his return. As the governing body usually unanimously approves nominations, the former flashpoint of US-Cuban tension is set to make his next step within national politics based on the symbolism of his past.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Granma. All candidates nominated for the National Assembly were an expression of the plurality and diversity of Cuban politics. All nominations from varying backgrounds were the product of a legitimate and democratic exercise, highlighting the strength and talent that Cuba holds in its population. González is poised for an engaging career in public service.