Blanca Peta sat quietly in the municipal court chambers of Union City City Hall with a calm look on her face. As others gathered around her and took their seats, she adjusted herself upright in a way that suggested she felt empowered by the crowd in the room. They had gathered to remember the 146th anniversary of the Jose Marti, a Cuban patriot, revolutionary, and educator who fought for the freedom of his homeland. But as she looked on and listened to speeches and watched a proclamation be given, she carried a sentiment that many around her seemed to share. She was struggling with the fact that at the same time, a young Cuban boy’s freedom was in jeopardy, freedom that was as important as what Jose Marti had fought to preserve so long ago. The debate has raged for months over the fate of 6-year-old Elian Gonzalez, a Cuban boy who was found clinging to a life preserver floating off the coast of Florida on Nov. 25, after his mother and others drowned when their boat sank en route from Cuba. Over the past few months, Cuban president Fidel Castro has demanded that the child be returned to his homeland, where his father is, but the boy’s relatives in Florida want to keep him in the U.S. Blanca Peta thinks the issue is about Gonzalez’ human rights. “I would think it has been a difficult struggle for both families who care about little Elian,” said Peta, a Cuban descendent who has lived in Union City for many years and stood out with her bright green button that said “Human Rights for Cuba.” “However, I also know the struggles of my homeland and even though I see how the father must feel about having his son returned, I do believe that the child should be given the opportunity to have the liberty and freedom that he wouldn’t experience in Cuba.” This sentiment seemed to buzz around the room in whispers and murmurs on Friday, Jan. 28, as Mayor Rudy Garcia honored two men and addressed the right of all Cubans to continue the fight for peace and democracy in Cuba. It was only fitting on this day, said the mayor, that the fate of a young boy has brought attention to the issue. “As we stand here today, we are honoring a man [Jose Marti] who has spoken for the freedom of Cuba,” said Garcia. “It is only fitting, at this time, that we remember a young boy named Elian Gonzalez, whose mother gave her life to give her son the freedom our people still fight for today. We need to recognize that for so long so many men and women have fought for the liberation of Cuba and I feel that while we gather here to honor the memory of a great man and those political prisoners who are still incarcerated because they believe speaking out for the liberation of Cuba, we must also honor his mother’s last wish that her son be given the same opportunity and liberty she risked her life for him to have.” Hudson County residents had mixed opinions about the boy’s fate last week. “I think that the boy should stay here because it was what his mother wanted for him,” said Angel Alfonso Aleman of West New York, who is an ex-political prisoner from Cuba and was given a proclamation by the Mayor of Union City for his contributions to the community. “I speak from my own experience when I say that no should take freedom for granted and I feel it would be a contradiction to send Elian back if he can stay here with his family and have a better life. I have grown children of my own and I wouldn’t want to be separated from them. But if it were for their right to be free and be liberated from the oppression that many Cubans have gone through, then I would make that sacrifice.” However, one father who has experienced a similar situation disagreed. “I have a son and I wouldn’t want anyone not allowing me to be with him,” said Jorge Rios, who has lived in Union City for 25 years. “I had a situation where my wife wouldn’t allow my son to live here with me and it was quite a battle because she wanted him to stay in our country. The way I see it is that the child has only one mother and father and if the mother is not here than he should be with his father, regardless.” Throughout several weeks of uncertainty, the boy’s fate has been tossed back and forth, with Elian’s great-uncle, Lazaro Gonzalez, appealing in federal court for custody of Elian when the INS ruled that the boy should be returned to his father in Cuba. Then members of Congress, including Rep. Bob Menendez (D-13th Dist.) spoke out last week and suggested that permanent residency be given to Elian. Despite the commotion being caused by Cuba to regain the child, Elian was asked to appear in court, where he issued a statement about where he would like to live. In Spanish, he said, “My mother gave her life so that I may live in freedom. I want to live in the United States.” Suggesting how much Elian was missed in his homeland, one last attempt in the past two weeks brought his grandmothers to the U.S. to regain the return of their grandson. His maternal grandmother, Raquel Rodriquez, and paternal grandmother, Mariela Quintana, were sponsored by the National Christian Association to come to the United States to appeal for the boy’s return. Their journey had flown them from Washington to see Attorney General Janet Reno, to New York where they were supported by churches and religious organizations, and to Miami , where they attempted to schedule a meeting with the family taking care of Elian. But the grandmothers failed in their attempt to bring the boy home. One city official said the boy’s relatives must decide what is best for him. West New York Mayor Albio Sires said, after he took his seat on the General Assembly on Jan. 11, “I can relate to his situation because I was close to his age when my parents brought me here to this country. They wanted me to have a better life and the freedom we didn’t have in Cuba. His fate has not been decided yet, but I hope whatever can be done will ultimately be in the best interest of a child who deserves better than what he has gone through.”
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