By Mark Stevenson, Associated Press, 04/15/00
MIAMI -- Demonstrators sang and prayed outside the home where Elian Gonzalez has been living with his Miami relatives, and fretted that the little boy might be spending his last weekend in Little Havana.
At least 150 people kept their vigil on a hot, muggy Saturday, with many waving American flags. One group changed the key word in a traditional exile song from "Freedom, Cuba is calling for freedom" to "Freedom, Elian is calling for freedom."
The 4-month custody struggle was in the hands of the federal appeals court in Atlanta, which issued a temporary injunction Thursday blocking Elian from leaving the country. The Justice Department also agreed that day to hold off on reuniting Elian with his father for a few days.
The government wants the appeals court to suspend the injunction and order the 6-year-old's great-uncle to hand him over. The relatives want the court to let them meet with Elian's father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez, without being required to let Elian go.
The Justice Department also pointedly reminded the great-uncle, Lazaro Gonzalez, that he lost legal custody of Elian on Thursday when he defied the government's demand that he take the boy to the airport for a flight to Washington. Elian's father has been waiting there since April 6.
While there was no indication Saturday of precisely when the government would seek to reunite Elian with his father, many protesters in Little Havana said they feared the moment would come Monday -- the anniversary of the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion.
On April 17, 1961, a force of CIA-trained Cuban exiles tried to invade Cuba and overthrow the government of Fidel Castro. Cuban forces easily repelled the invasion at the swampy, mosquito-ridden inlet on the country's southern coast, killing 200 rebels and capturing almost 1,200.
Cuba's victory became the defining moment for Miami's Cuban exiles, who accused President John F. Kennedy of betraying them by failing to back up the invasion force with aerial cover.
"It's important that they not win this one," said Maria Miller, who said her brother fought in the invasion.
Greg Allen of Fort Lauderdale, who joined the crowd of demonstrators to show support for keeping Elian here, said he was moved by the strong emotions in Little Havana.
"Americans forget what happened at the Bay of Pigs," he said. "I come down here and it feels like it happened yesterday."
Elian has been in Miami since he was rescued by fishermen who found him clinging to an inner tube in the Florida Straits on Thanksgiving. His mother and 10 other people fleeing Cuba drowned when their boat sank.
His Miami relatives have cared for him since then and have been fighting in court for an asylum hearing. The Clinton administration has ordered Elian be reunited with his father, saying only he can speak for the boy on immigration matters. The relatives are appealing a federal judge's ruling that upheld the government's decision.
The lawyer for Elian's father, Gregory Craig, on Saturday harshly criticized repeated allegations by Elian's Miami relatives that Juan Miguel Gonzalez was abusive to Elian and his ex-wife, Elian's mother. He called the tactic a desperate effort to influence the court proceedings.
The Justice Department has said it has found no evidence that the father was abusive. And residents of Elian's hometown of Cardenas, Cuba, have repeatedly told The Associated Press that Elian's parents, though divorced, had a very good relationship.
Craig also noted that in March, Elian's cousin Marisleysis called Juan Miguel Gonzalez "a loving and good father" and said she was looking forward to seeing Elian's face when they were reunited.
