Elian Glad to Be Back at School, Father Says
Beaming as he walked hand-in-hand with friends, Cuba’s most famous boy, Elian Gonzalez, went back to school Friday, nine months after the disastrous voyage that landed him at the center of an international custody battle.
“The boy is very happy, and me too, because he’s going back to school,” the 6-year-old’s father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez, said as he accompanied Elian to school in their coastal hometown, Cardenas, for the start of the school year.
Elian’s studies at the Marcelo Salado Primary School were interrupted when his mother took him on an ill-fated crossing to Florida in November. She died in the attempt, and his father had to fight Miami relatives who oppose Cuba’s Communist government for custody of the boy.
Holding hands with four other friends, Elian looked happy and at ease as he rejoined classmates and teachers at a special first-day ceremony.
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