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This Happened

This Happened - April 22: ​A Child Held At Gunpoint

Elian Gonzalez is a Cuban national who became the subject of an international custody battle. He was five years old at the time. On this day in 2000, federal agents raided the Miami home where Elian was staying with his relatives and forcibly removed him, holding him and his relatives at gunpoint.

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What happened to Elian Gonzalez?

In 1999, Elian's mother and stepfather took him on a boat from Cuba to the United States. Elian's mother died during the journey, and Elian was taken in by his relatives in Miami, Florida. A custody battle ensued, with Elian's father in Cuba seeking to have his son returned to him. After months of legal battles and political maneuvering, the U.S. government ultimately ruled that Elian should be returned to his father in Cuba.

Why was Elian Gonzalez's case so controversial?

Elian Gonzalez's case was controversial because it raised questions about U.S. immigration policy, the role of the federal government in family law matters, and the political relationship between the United States and Cuba. Many in the Cuban-American community in Miami saw Elian's case as a symbol of their opposition to the Cuban government, while others saw it as a matter of basic human rights for a young child and his father.

What happened to Elian Gonzalez after he was returned to Cuba?

After returning to Cuba, Elian Gonzalez became a symbol of the Cuban government's success in challenging U.S. policies towards Cuba. He was given a hero's welcome and was later enrolled in a military academy. He has since kept a low profile and has not spoken publicly about his experience. Fidel Castro met with Elian Gonzalez after his return to Cuba, and hosted a large public rally in Havana to celebrate Elian's return. The meeting was widely publicized in both Cuba and the United States, and it further heightened tensions between the two countries over the custody battle.


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Society

How I Made Homeschooling Work For My Mexican Family

Educating children at home is rarely accepted in Mexico, but Global Press Journal reporter Aline Suárez del Real's family has committed to daily experiential learning.

How I Made Homeschooling Work For My Mexican Family

Cosme Damián Peña Suárez del Real and his grandmother, Beatriz Islas, make necklaces and bracelets at their home in Tecámac, Mexico.

ALINE SUÁREZ DEL REAL/GPJ MEXICO
Aline Suárez del Real

TECÁMAC, MEXICO — Fifteen years ago, before I became a mother, I first heard about someone who did not send her child to school and instead educated him herself at home. It seemed extreme. How could anyone deny their child the development that school provides and the companionship of other students? I wrote it off as absurd and thought nothing more of it.

Today, my 7-year-old son does not attend school. Since August of last year, he has received his education at home, a practice known as home-schooling.

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