Re: Political kidnapping of 6-year-old Cuban Elian Gonzalez

Besides the political reasons regarding Eliáns case that have being pointed
out in this Network,  it it also necessary to call the attention to the
human aspects involved.  A child at that age needs a supportive environment
and, in Cuba, Elián has a family, friends, a school, grandparents, a father
and people who care about him. In the US he has a media that harasses him 24
hours a day (making news "American style"), relatives he didn´t know up
until a few days ago and a strange environment that has put him under a lot
of pressure.  This is simply inhuman and cruel and a case of child abuse.
No wonder why we saw him on TV (as reported by a Spanish channel...)
pointing at a plane that flew by and clearly saying "Yo quiero que me lleves
a Cuba" (I want you to take me to Cuba).  Despite all the presents and trips
to Disneyworld, the child must be fed up -to say the least.

There is hope in the fact that the majority of US people (although not an
overwhelming majority) has expressed the opinion that Elián should be
returned to Cuba and some concerned groups are exerting pressure on the
government, but so far, it has been easy to find legal ways of posponing a
decision and keeping the boy captive.  Let´s think for a moment, if Elián
were a little AMERICAN boy, living the SAME situation in any foreign
country,  how would American people feel?  What would American  press say?
What would American government DO???

Of course this is a political issue, and Elián´s case shows once more some
of the ways used by the US to enforce hegemony, using a "legal" shield....
Cuba has lived this situation for more than 40 years with the embargo.
Elián´s case shows the interest of the US to rule over others and also to
maintain the control over the majority of the resources of the world, which
has made the American society overemphasize material accumulation and
comsumption.  That in part explains why, in Elián´s situation, the "best
future" for him is conceived and discussed in terms of his possibilities to
get more material assets and not in terms of values associated with family
ties and friendship or regarding his psychological well being.

Alicia E. Vargas
Associate Professor
Faculty of Education
University of Costa Rica