By Sue Anne Pressley and Karen DeYoung. Washington Post Staff Writers. Thursday, March 30, 2000; Page A02
Penelas Says Clinton, Reno Are Responsible for Rising Tension
MIAMI, March 29—Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas and a group of other local officials lashed out at the Clinton administration today over the fate of 6-year-old Elian Gonzalez, saying that violence could erupt in this city if federal officials continue "provoking" the Cuban exile
community by threatening to take the boy.
The criticism came during a frantic day as Elian's Miami relatives met with federal immigration authorities to discuss the future surrender of the child. INS officials had threatened to revoke Elian's temporary parole, or permission to stay in the United States, at 9 a.m. Thursday if the Miami
relatives did not provide written assurances that they would give up the boy should they lose their next court battle.
Lazaro Gonzalez, Elian's Miami great-uncle, and a team of lawyers began a meeting with the INS at 4 p.m. today, as protesters prepared for a massive prayer vigil tonight in the Little Havana neighborhood where Elian has lived the past four months since his rescue at sea.
Tensions soared after a noontime news conference in which Penelas, supported by about 20 other local mayors, warned that he would hold President Clinton and Attorney General Janet Reno responsible if violence broke out over the case.
"The federal government is provoking the community," Penelas said. "We do not condone inappropriate behavior. But I have a responsibility to tell the federal government when they've gone too far. And they've gone too far.
"If the Justice Department's handling of this matter . . . leads to civil unrest and violence," he said, "we are holding the [federal] government responsible."
Penelas and the other mayors also said that local law enforcement officers would not assist federal authorities in "repatriating the boy."
Clinton responded to those statements by urging the Miami relatives and the Cuban exile community to abide by the law.
"I have done my best not to overly politicize this. And I don't think we should," Clinton said at a news conference this afternoon on a wide range of topics. "There is a legal process here. We ought to let it play out."
Although Clinton said he likes Penelas "very much," he stressed that he still believes "in the rule of law here. We all have to, whatever the law is, whatever the decision is ultimately made, the rest of us ought to obey it."
On Monday, the Miami relatives filed for an appeal of a federal court ruling last week upholding the INS decision to reunite Elian with his father in Cuba. But the family refused to sign an agreement that they would drop their case and surrender the boy if they lost the appeal in the 11th U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta. Oral arguments in the case have been scheduled for May 8.
It was unclear whether Lazaro Gonzalez could be persuaded to sign any agreement. In an interview earlier in the day with the Telemundo TV Network, he vowed not to turn over the child voluntarily.
If he doesn't agree, the INS will deliver a written notice to Lazaro Gonzalez giving the time and day of parole revocation for Elian--9 a.m. Thursday. The notice will leave the boy temporarily in Lazaro Gonzalez's care but will likely impose several conditions, including that he keep in close
contact with the INS office. At some future point, most likely within a week, he would receive a second notice instructing him as to the time and date of Elian's departure.
Gov. Jeb Bush (R) also entered the fray today, signing a resolution with other state officials urging the INS "to temporarily suspend its effort to deport Elian."
Special correspondent Catharine Skipp in Miami contributed to this report.
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