MSNBC. Jan. 5
HARTFORD, Conn., Jan. 5 - The international custody fight over a 6-year-old Cuban boy has ended. But, is it really over? The Immigration and Naturalization Service decided Elian Gonzalez belongs with his father in Cuba.
On Thanksgiving Day Elian Gonzalez was rescued from an innertube after he survived a harrowing journey from Cuba. It was a journey which killed his mother. Gonzalez was then thrust into a heated political battle between the United States and Cuba.
"This little boy who has been through so much, belongs with his biological father," INS Commissioner Doris Meissner said. Reactions in Connecticut over the decision are mixed. Gonzalez’s stay in the U.S. may be short-lived, but the controversy surrounding the boy is not. His
relatives in Miami are joined by many Cuban Americans who want Elian to remain in the United States because he’ll have more opportunities. But, Elian’s biological father wants him to come home, and according to the INS, fatherhood wins.
"If his father was treating him ok, and he feels safe with his father then he should go back. I think the surroundings that he was used to should be where he goes. He belongs with his father," Elena Bolorin of Hartford said. Jose Negron, who lives in Hartford, is from Puerto Rico
and has a 6-year-old son. "He has family here, right? He’s better off with his family over here than going back to Cuba.
Cuban-born Carlos Lopez understands first-hand what is at stake. Lopez’s own parents sent him to the U.S. to live with relatives here when he was just 15-years-old. "We Cubans in the free country would like to see the boy be free. But, we also recognize that morally, the kid
should be raised by his natural parent," Lopez said.
Gonzalez could be returned to Cuba as early as January 14th. But, relatives in Miami are planning to go to court to try and block the decision to send the boy back.
Do you agree with the government’s decision to send Elian Gonzalez back to live with his father in Cuba? NBC 30 asked 500 people in our exclusive "Connecticut With Connecticut" survey. Of those we asked, 62% said they agreed with the decision, 32% disagree and 6% were not
sure.
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