Elian Gonzalez: Castro Was A Father To Me
WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back. Live pictures of President-Elect Donald Trump's motorcade making it to the tarmac there in Palm Beach, Florida where his plane awaits him. He will soon be making his way to New York to continue meeting with the transition team after this holiday weekend. All right. Remember this iconic image right there? That is how Elian Gonzalez, the Cuban castaway was rescued 16 years ago, is remembering now former Cuban leader Fidel Castro. It was that moment when Elian Gonzalez, just five-years-old he was ripped from his Florida relative's home and forcibly removed and the return to his father in Cuba. That same little boy now an adult at 22 years-old is praising Castro calling him a father figure and a friend. Contrastly in Miami, crowds are cheering Castro's death. And that's where we find our Boris Sanchez live for us -- Boris.</s>BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Hey there, Fred, perhaps no story encapsulate with the vision between the exile community here and the community in Cuba in terms of reaction to Fidel's death and Fidel's legacy than Elian Gonzalez's story. That saga as you know was front and center here for many, many months. People here are not necessarily inclined to support Elian Gonzalez. We see him as an objective voice in describing Fidel's legacy but Elian certainly sees him as you said as a father figure and someone to, you know, look up to as a world leader and a towering icon to many in the third world. I want to play for you some of the sound from Elian Gonzalez reflecting on Fidel's life right now.</s>ELIAN GONZALEZ, FORMER SUBJECT OF INTERNATIONAL CUSTODY DISPUTE (through a translator): He is a father, who like my father, I wanted to show him everything I achieved, that he would be proud of me. That's how it was with Fidel. If I learned something and wanted to show him and there are still many things I want to show him.</s>SANCHEZ: Elian Gonzalez here in Miami is not nearly as beloved as he was when he was a child. A lot of them has to do with the fact that they see him as kind of a propaganda tool of the Castro regime. As I said before, see him as an objective voice. They see him as a hypocrite, honestly. People that I had spoken to think that it's not really in line with what his mother, who risked her life, lost her life in the see trying to get him out of Cuba would have wanted for him. As you can see behind me, there is still an active demonstration going on. People chanting Fidel, you tyrant, take your brother with you. Earlier, they were chanting, "Throw them in Cuba, throw them in Cuba." "Trump, Trump, throw them in Cuba." So, obviously the demonstrations, the celebration here in Little Havana will continue for some time. I should tell you that there Fred, this is significantly less than what we saw yesterday and the night before. But it is still at a motive moment for exile over here in Miami.</s>WHITFIELD: All right. Boris Sanchez in Miami, thank you so much. All right. North of my Miami in Palm Beach, the tarmac right there where Donald Trump's plane is soon to be taking off. The President- Elect wrapping up his Thanksgiving weekend heading back to New York for meetings. We'll have much more straight ahead.