Juventud Rebelde
June 28, 2005
BIRTH OF AN ETERNAL BATTLE
It has been five years since the return of Elian and he
has been a strong force to continue the battle against the murderous Cuban
Adjustment, Torricelli and Helms-Burton Laws, the criminal amendments of the
U.S. Congress and to call for the return of our Five Heroes as well as for the
improvement of Cuban society.
by Hugo García
A CubaNews translation by Ana Portela.
Edited by Walter Lippmann
http://www.jrebelde.cubaweb.cu/2005/abril-junio/jun-28/nacimiento.html
MATANZAS – EXTRA, EXTRA, READ
ALL ABOUT IT! These were the words shouted by the Cuban media to present
Official Note No. 1 on the U.S. Supreme Court ruling denying the request for
interdiction presented by the Cuban American Mafia and U.S. extreme right to
retain Elian González Brotons.
It was 12:00 noon on Wednesday,
June 28, 2000, five years ago today. Juan Miguel, his family and other persons
accompanying them had to wait until 4:00 pm, the exact time that the Alabama
Court Interdiction concluded.
From that moment on, the news
spread across our Island and in the world. Gradually, the streets were emptied
although it was a workday. In the productive and service centers, the workers
gathered around radios and television. In the homes, housewives, retirees,
children and young people, already on summer holiday, only spoke about this.
However, skepticism ruled
because it was a long battle.
The people were well informed of each detail as events unrolled. Juan Miguel would make a short declaration to the press refusing to answer questions. They would bid farewell to all the comrades of the Interest Section who attended them, lawyer [Gregory] Craig, Mrs. [Joan Brown] Campbell and other persons who supported them and they would take the return flight at 5; 30 in the afternoon.
The group of people and an official of the Cuban Interest Section accompanying them to the homeland, traveled in two jet planes with capacity for seven to eight persons, respectively. In spite of the intense efforts in the past few days, a larger one for them to travel together was not available.
At 4:43 pm Juan Miguel, Elian
and his companions departed Washington. According to the winds, the arrival home
would be in two hours and 50 minutes.
Since we were all aware, we wanted to protect the boy from too much emotion,
there would be no great mobilization. His reception would be simpler.
At 6 and 10 pm Official Note No. 5 was issued, an amazing silence covered Cuba …
now, the streets were certainly emptied.
Juan Miguel, Elian and family members and other companions finally departed in
the two chartered jets, unable to charter a large one to allow them to travel
together. They would arrive around 7:00 to 7:30 in the evening.
From that moment on, joy was felt everywhere
in the Island and in the
hearts of those in other lands who followed the events. How much happiness!
Present at the
José
Martí airport were the grandparents, the great-grandmother, the paternal uncle
and the little cousin, Hianny, the parents of the children who accompanied the
husband of Agueda (the teacher) four representatives of the Youth, students and
pioneers as well as Ricardo Alarcon, Juan Miguel’s advisor who did not receive a
visa to travel to the United States.
Nearby were pioneers and teachers of the Marcelo Salado primary school, site of
the most vibrant events of solidarity to save a friend.
Immediately boarding the transportation, the group and their closest family left traveling along a discrete route that would not be announced, to an intermediate stopover where the families of the 14 passengers who were not going to wait at the airport.
According to considerations, at about 10:00 in the evening, the whole group of
14 who had been in Washington would arrive at the school prepared in the Playa
municipality, a school that had been prepared for months, to receive the boy,
his father, his school friends and other persons who were with them in
Washington.
Juan Miguel had refused sinister bribes to stay. His attitude demonstrated to the World that Cuba exists, that its people live with the justice that is stolen from other peoples, in spite of the imperialist mass media campaign to discredit its social system.
Considering the great advances achieved by Elian, they would be there for the least indispensable time to resume their life in the country under the most normal and calm conditions possible, and for Elian and his four school friends who accompanied him, to complete their first grade.
Who doesn’t remember that tender image of Juan Miguel with Elian in his arms, waving with the humility of grateful persons; how the child rested his head on his father; that large embrace of the grandparents and the child; Elian’s bright black eyes …
According to recent reports, the child already knows how to read and write. In about two or three weeks he will be perfectly prepared to begin his second grade next term.
After a short time, Juan Miguel, Nersy and Elian together with the baby Hianny would rest for a week in the vicinity of Cardenas and then return to his loved, noble and cooperative town. Holding back their emotions, he will have to prepare to do all necessary so that the child can lead a normal life and receive a proper education together with his school friends, after the suffering he went through and that made him the most famous and well known child in the world.
Our noble teachers and pedagogues have to take on the task of helping him to become a model child, worthy of his history and his charm and talent so that he is also a normal citizen, a symbol, an example and a glory for all the children of our country and the pride of Cuban educators.
What a pleasure to know that this coming July 14 he will graduate sixth grade! That he is a happy child surrounded by the love of his family and his people!
Our people and Revolution always acts ethically and never like the Mafia and ‘politicos’. We always said that the child came first and we would never use him as a political tool, nor would we make his return to Cuba a reason for large mobilizations and festivities singing victory and humiliating the historic adversary that the United States has been because of its hostile and aggressive policy for 41 years, that, in addition to painful events, led to the formation of the Cuban American counterrevolutionary Mafia, the sinking, the kidnapping and the tragedy of the Cuban child Elian González.
Now, the mind of Cubans and sincere people in the world turned to the hard moments of the seven months that Elian was kidnapped in Miami and the heroic battle of our people.
His arrival on Cuban soil did not lead to a recess. Quite the contrary. We took up the battle with more force against the murderous Law of Cuban Adjustment, the Torricelli and Helms-Burton Laws, the criminal amendments of U.S. Congress; as well as the battle for the return home of the Five Heroes and the improvement of our society.
The battle will transcend time and generations. It will live because millions of Cubans will it, united and will win it with ideas and courage.
Note: The italicized paragraphs are parts of Official Notes.