Associated Press. Las Vegas SUN. April 06, 2000 at 9:02:09 PDT
BETHESDA, Md. (AP) -- Elian Gonzalez's father got his first taste of America today -- morning rush hour on Washington's Beltway.
A police motorcade brought Juan Miguel Gonzalez, his second wife and 6-month-old baby from Dulles International Airport in Virginia to the leafy suburban neighborhood where Cuban diplomat Fernando Remirez lives and Gonzalez is staying.
Seen off from Havana by Cuban President Fidel Castro and a crowd of supporters, Gonzalez hours later was in the mass of American commuters making their daily trek into or around the capital.
His entourage moved along without much problem -- observed mile after mile by media helicopter cameras.
Police blocked off several streets around Remirez's split-level home in anticipation of protesters, some of whom had shown up at the airport to shout "welcome to freedom" as Gonzalez made a defiant statement in support of getting his son and going back to Cuba.
A half dozen protesters, opposed to the boy's return to Cuba, came to the neighborhood in late morning and milled quietly. They did not believe Elian's father truly wants to go back, despite his statements to the contrary.
"We want to let him know that we support him, that this is a free country and he can express himself freely without having harm come to him," Camila Ruiz, 27, of Washington, said of the elder Gonzalez.
Some neighbors were worried a large influx of protesters might develop near the diplomat's home.
"They're doing this against humanity, not Castro," said Marcel Hobha, who lives across the street. "If they were against Castro they should hit Castro and not bother a little boy."
Several hours after his arrival, Gonzalez came outside the house to say goodbye to unidentified visitors. Someone else from the home poured Cuban coffee for the police officers from a silver pot.
At about the same time in Miami, Elian played on a slide in his great-uncle's backyard, seen by a large media entourage camped out nearby.
"I think the kid has been living an unnatural life for the past few months, not living a normal 6-year-old life," said Kitty Strauss, another neighbor of Remirez in Bethesda.
She was finding it hard to get around her secured street but trying to keep the annoyance in perspective.
"I wish I had a secret way to get into my house, but I'm not the victim," she said. "The boy is the victim and that's what I feel bad about."
Asked what Gonzalez would be doing right away, Montgomery County police Lt. Bill O'Toole said, "I would imagine, resting."
"Our mission is to protect the neighborhood, protect the family ... the Remirez family and also to protect any visitors," said county police Cmdr. Luther Reynolds.
"We don't know who is coming, when. We don't know how long this is going to last."
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