By William C. Mann, .c The Associated Press
WASHINGTON, 17 (AP) - Cuba's government is orchestrating anti-American demonstrations demanding the return of 6-year-old Elian Gonzalez largely to protect U.S. property and diplomats in Havana, a top Cuban official says.
Ricardo Alarcon, president of the Cuban National Assembly, said Sunday that anger over Elian's continued presence in the United States is so real and widespread among Cubans as to pose a potential danger to American interests.
The Immigration and Naturalization Service has ruled the boy, rescued at sea by the Coast Guard after his mother drowned Nov. 25 trying to reach the United States, must be returned to his father in communist Cuba. But last week, Attorney General Janet Reno lifted the INS' deadline to give
Elian's relatives in Miami a chance to fight a federal court battle to keep the boy with them.
Cuban-American and other members of Congress have demanded at least that remedy. Some have suggested congressional action to give Elian permanent residency or even American citizenship to keep him in the United States.
``We are behind the protests because everybody in Cuba is protesting, from the government to the last citizen,'' Alarcon said on ``Fox News Sunday.''
Because of that, he said, the government's only options are either to let protesters vent their anger ``completely spontaneously'' - potentially targeting American interests - or ``to channel them in a way to permit you to ensure the safety of the U.S. diplomats'' and other Americans.
Alarcon, President Fidel Castro's top adviser on U.S. matters, derided the suggestion of a special congressional grant of citizenship to the boy. ``Congress is supposed to be a serious institution and not an instrument to permit what amounts to a kidnapping of a small boy,'' he said.
The citizenship idea is ``absolutely nonsense,'' Alarcon added on NBC's ``Meet The Press.''
Elian's father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez, said last week he feels like ``breaking the neck'' of politicians fighting the boy's return and has no intention of coming to Miami to pick up his son. ``Miami Cubans would just entangle me in their political games,'' he said.
But Sunday, U.S. politicians repeatedly demanded that he come.
``Let the father come to the United States, bring his family here, both grandmothers, make his case in court and then have it decided right there,'' Reform Party presidential candidate Pat Buchanan said on ABC's ``This Week.''
Texas George W. Bush, a Republican presidential hopeful, said he hopes the elder Gonzalez ``would be allowed to come ... inhale that great breath of freedom, to see how is son is being accepted here, take some time for himself and make the decision (about Elian's future) here on U.S. soil.''
Speaking from Havana, Alarcon said Gonzalez is free to go whenever he can be assured of getting his son without being entangled in legal or political problems.
But Alarcon added, ``We have gotten the advice of many lawyers, including U.S. officials, that he should not go to that country.'' Among other perils, he said, Gonzalez could face would be the threat of a congressional subpoena.
Sen. John McCain of Arizona, another GOP presidential contender, joined those pushing citizenship for Elian.
``We've done that to so many others who have been able to escape,'' he told NBC. ``Look, the only people that have been returned to Cuba have been criminals. I don't think that Elian falls into that category.''
Alarcon denounced the citizenship effort. ``You cannot impose citizenship upon anybody,'' he said. ``And this individual, this 6-year-old boy, has not requested anything, and he cannot, legally speaking. ... This is going too far, really.''
AP-NY-01-17-00 0722EST
Copyright 2000 The Associated Press. |