[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >REMARKS BY DR. FIDEL CASTRO RUZ, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CUBA, >AT THE INFORMATION ROUND TABLE ORGANIZED BY YOUTHS AND STUDENTS ON >MARCH 29, 2000 > >I apologize if for the third time in three days I find it necessary >to say something here. > >Finally, they had to show on screen what they did not want to show. >They were certainly ashamed to show something like that but today >they had no other choice. We can easily understand the decision they >made yesterday because that dialogue and those questions they asked >the child are a really sickening and disgusting display. However, I >will not abound on that, I will rather leave it to the experts on the >subject. > >Look, today is the day. Everything has happened today and it is not >over, yet. At this moment, the INS people are still in that meeting >with the lawyers and the extended family and they have failed to >reach a decision, at least, that we know of. As I said yesterday, the >logic goes that they will comply, that they have to comply. Mr. >Pertierra, attorney at law, has indicated the same thing. But, as >they live there in such fear and hysteria, nothing is known until >information is released on the discussions. > >Still, there is something very significant. See that they are so >helpless now, that they can only resort to a deceitful action, that >is, to say that the father does not care for his son. They talk >lightly about that as if there were not a thousand dangers stalking >the father in Miami. They have completely forgotten what happened >with the grandmothers. They seem to forget that even the police and >the mayors there act in contempt of the Federal Government. > >A trip by Juan Miguel to the Mafia territory would require, at least, >the involvement of a battalion from the 82nd Airborne Division to >protect him. But, that is not the key to this matter. > >Juan Miguel is not afraid nor has he ever been afraid. I say this >because I know him quite well. Theirs was a different trap: they >would resort to anything, they have said so, to subpoena him, as they >wanted to do with his child, to testify before a Congressional >committee. This is the only great mistake they have avoided, but if >they did it, an individual there would soon decide whether or not he >could return because from the moment he is subpoenaed he must obey >and it would be a violation of the law not to comply or to return to >Cuba without their permission. > >But Juan Miguel is not afraid of even that, just as the grandmothers >were not afraid. They were willing to offer testimony and to tell >them all the truths that should be said to those who in that >Committee are capable of such brutal, arbitrary and wild actions. >That is the truth, there is no fear. It only happens that we have >never done what they would like for us to do. Well, then, I shall now >get right down to the issue. > >While the round table proceeded, I was listening, taking notes and >asking Carlitos to communicate over the telephone with various >comrades, particularly, Juan Miguel. Actually, for the first time >since I have been attending these debates, I also went aside to talk >on the phone with Juan Miguel before making the decision to ask for a >few minutes tonight to make these remarks. It will not take long; it >is a short statement which I have already written down. > >The Miami Mafia and the American extreme right have let all the >beasts loose in the lot. The mayors in the service of the Miami Mafia >have revolted. By the way, there is so much talk about the mayors but >they are all from the same area in the city. The lawmakers who >respond to the interests of that Mafia have been making moves and >putting all kinds of pressure for an out-of-courts solution. They are >trying to pass some sort of resolution or Act to take this case out >of the courts, which to begin with have no legal right to consider >this case because it does not correspond to the U.S. courts to decide >on the issue. However, you see what is happening. > >We had been planning for some time, together with Juan Miguel and >Eli·n's grandparents, the father's trip to the United States while we >waited for the right time to do it properly and with adequate >guarantees against any absurd trick aimed at hurting him. > >During this round table I have been in constant communication with >Juan Miguel and his family and we have agreed, just today because we >find this is the right moment, to release the following information: > >Juan Miguel Gonzalez, Elian's father, is ready to immediately travel >to the United states to assume custody of his son, as the child's >father with full rights recognized by the INS and Judge Moore, >accompanied by indispensable people according to the criteria of >medical doctors, psychiatrists and psychologists. Together, the would >forthwith undertake the child's recuperation and his reinsertion to >the family and school environment while case unfolds in the Atlanta >Court of Appeals. > >The fact is that it is now said that the process would last one and a >half month, at least, and that is precisely what the INS is >discussing today with the lawyers and the extended family. The INS is >demanding from these people a pledge that when the court gives its >ruling they will abide by such decision but they have so far refused >to do even that and at this moment they are still resisting. >Therefore, the purpose of the trip would be to have the child under >the father's custody until that court issues its ruling on the case. > >Yesterday, we heard concerns about how to resolve the problem of the >child's separation from the false mother; who would be receiving him >and how he would be reincorporated to his family. Then, we have found >the perfect formula for his reinsertion, I would even say the best >formula, which our people will better understand after listening to >those dialogues between Eli·n and his father in the last few days. > >We have seen that despite all pressures he still reacts and sustains >such conversations with his father; he talks about his little >brother, his cousin and the others and certainly much more >spontaneously than the awful things we just saw on television: "Look, >you want to go to Cuba or you would rather have your father come here >to stay with you", they said to him. The child was not interested >until he grew tired of all that and said: "Well, don't ask me more >questions." This increases our hopes that there are true >possibilities for this child to recuperate, mostly if something is >done promptly. It is due to that time pressure that we are now making >this statement. > >Juan Miguel would be accompanied by his wife and Elian's little >brother who is six months old and of whom he speaks with great >affection because he loves his brother despite the fact that when he >left the baby was hardly three months old. By the way, this is a very >lively six-months-old. Also traveling with them would be a very dear >cousin of Eli·n, 12 first-grade classmates chosen among his closest >friends and among them, of course, Hanser, the boy who shared his >school desk; also his teacher who cried so much those first days >after the tragedy for the loss of her student and the sadness of his >classmates and his kindergarten teacher who had previously worked >with him for a whole year and knows him very well; the neonatologist >who cared for him from birth, a team of psychiatrists, psychologists, >pediatricians and others as well as an advisor who is familiar with >the American legal and political system. > >The purpose of this action is not only to preserve the child's >health, as you have rightly indicated, but also to facilitate the >resumption of his education so that he can pass the school tests and >move to second grade. > >Now they are keeping him confined to the house with a visiting >teacher and, according to news we have received, there is much noise >there. Just today he complained to his father that many cars stop by >the house making noise and sounding their horns. It must be hell for >him that he is not even attending school. > >Our proposal is that we take his classroom to him there, with is >classmates, his teachers and the most outstanding specialists to take >care of him. At the moment, we do not know who is taking care of him. > >Juan Miguel, his wife and baby, and the children will be accommodated >at the residence of the head of our Interests Section in Washington, >Mr. Fernando RemĢrez de Estenoz. We only need to make the necessary >arrangements with attorney Gregory Craig with whom we are keeping in >touch. Mr. Craig talks every day with Juan Miguel and comrade AlarcŪn >since when it was decided to retain that talented lawyer for certain >undertakings he asked for the possibility to analyze with AlarcŪn the >technicalities involved in the actions he would have to address in >common agreement with Juan Miguel. So, there are daily communications >between that lawyer, Juan Miguel and AlarcŪn. Quite often the need >arises to interpret legal matters with which Juan Miguel is not >familiar and then AlarcŪn helps him. > >At the moment, certain details of the trip are still pending although >this is something that we had been discussing. Anyway, we will apply >for the U.S. government visas as soon as Mr.Craig has been able to >make the necessary arrangements. > >The only thing left before departure would be the assurances the >American authorities would have to give us about their readiness to >surrender custody of the child to his father or to do their utmost to >obtain it. If the latter were true, their departure would have to >wait for the outcome of such special efforts as would certainly be >required. > >This is an example of how everything can be solved, that is, the >creation of the best possible conditions for the boy's reinsertion. >In other words, we are offering to carry Cardenas to Washington, >symbolically that is, by taking there the people closer to Eli·n both >in kindergarten and first grade until the time when he was taken away >from that environment. I would say that even the school desks can be >taken by plane, at least the famous desk shared by Hanser and Eli·n >could be taken on the plane for them to use at the residence. > >We have consulted RemĢrez about his residence and he has said to have >enough space in a meeting room area on the first floor. There, they >can have the classroom and create in the house the proper conditions >for the doctors to do their work. I am not saying that they will all >fit in RemĢrez' house but other officials live in the area. Perhaps >the adults will have to live somewhere else but there is plenty of >space in the house to work in an orderly fashion and for the family >and children to accommodate. All conditions can be created for the >permanent presence of a doctor and a nurse, that is, for medical care >and education in the residence. > >It will be a small school and a small hospital. And, of course, if >this took a month, a month and a half or two months these will be >optimum conditions and I wonder who could challenge such >arrangements. > >As the old saying goes: If the mountain does not come to Mohamed, >then Mohamed goes to the mountain. These would be perfectly ideal >conditions that the child does not have where he is now surrounded as >he is by rogues, noise, cameras and such disgraceful situations as we >have been watching today. We are really pleased that they decided to >show that, for we have been able to see it. > >This offer would be our contribution to the solution of this >predicament because all you can see there is a chaotic situation, a >crime committed in daylight. However, the best and the ideal >conditions can be created to care for the child. Of course, the >children would not be prisoners there, neither would be Juan Miguel >and his family. We hope their visa would allow them to visit >interesting places in Washington. There are interesting places there >like Capitol Hill --well, from a distance-- and the Lincoln Memorial. >I have heard that there are many interesting places in Washington and >its surrounding. They would not have to stay like in a small prison >there. No, the residence will be their school and living quarters. > >Listen, do you not think it is better to thus facilitate the child's >rendezvous with his father? And this is a father whose love for his >son nobody doubts; he is a particularly dotting father. There is also >the love of Juan Miguel's wife for this child to whom she was very >close, and his little brother that he loved; also the cousin who was >his playmate and 12 of his closest school friends. > >Allow me to say that when we talked to the children's parents a few >days ago, the 12 couples who are the parents of the 12 children did >not hesitate to given their consent for their children's trip >accompanied by their teacher. They are not hearing this for the first >time now, they have known it for some time, their passports are ready >and they have been provided shoes, clothing, everything. And the >plane, of course, is ready. They would leave as soon as the lawyer > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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