U.S. mayor says lad 'OK,' but doctor challenges Castro to 'show him'
By Charles Smith, © 2000 WorldNetDaily.com. August 30, 2000
Countering reports that Elian Gonzalez lays injured in a Cuban hospital with a broken jaw, a U.S. mayor said yesterday that he met with Elian Gonzalez last week and that the boy is "OK."
Reports have circulated widely, particularly on the Internet, about a Miami-based doctor who claimed that Elian was recently beaten by his father and is in the hospital.
Indeed, David Hoech, a retired doctor living in Miami with extensive connections inside the Cuban and diplomatic community, said: "We heard news that Elian was being treated for a broken jaw in a Cuban hospital. The next day, we established communication with humanitarian service entities
and were told that he was in a Children's Hospital in Cienfuegos."
But the dire reports about Elian brought a rebuttal from Oakland, Calif., Mayor Jerry Brown. On ABC's "Good Morning America" yesterday morning, the former California governor said he met Elian last week, during a visit to the communist country aimed at enhancing relations between his
California city and the eastern Cuban city of Santiago. Saying Elian is "OK" and not injured, Brown also discussed his views for improved trade relations with Castro and Cuba.
"The battle over trade with China has ended," said Brown in a recent interview published by the Associated Press, noting the recent congressional vote to grant "permanent normal trade relations" status to the Asian communist nation. "There is not a fig leaf to cover the
lack of logic of the Cuba trade embargo," added Brown.
Yet, Cuban government sources would not comment on Brown, trade issues or Elian. Attempts to confirm or deny the allegations with the official Cuban diplomatic U.N. mission in New York were unsuccessful, as the Cuban representatives refused to answer questions.
Sources inside the American intelligence community are also dubious about stories of Elian's injuries. One Pentagon source noted that Castro would "love" to discredit U.S. media such as WorldNetDaily with a disinformation story on Elian. On the other hand, the source did confirm that
U.S. military monitoring of Cuban propaganda ministry outlets noted there was no news on Elian for a number of days.
In Miami, Dr. Hoech stands ready with a Lear jet and X-ray machine in hopes the U.S. and Cuban governments will give in to his request. Hoech noted that the recent absence of Elian in Cuban propaganda only serves to support his suspicion that the boy has been injured.
"Why not show him now, Comrade Fidel?" asked Hoeck.
"If the child is OK, then it is in the best interests of Cuba to show him," concluded Hoeck. "The father had a history of beating Elian. Elian had to have an eye operation after a beating from his father. The violence was one reason why Elian's mom left Cuba."
"I have sent a letter to Janet Reno and no comment," added Hoech. "I am asking to get permission for three doctors to fly to Cuba and examine Elian Gonzalez at no expense to our government or the Cuban government. If this report is not true, then Castro would have trotted little
Elian out in front of the TV cameras to prove to the whole world that the boy is all right."
Charles Smith is a national security and defense reporter for WorldNetDaily.
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