Elián González Blames U.S. for Cuba's Woes, Claims "We Don't Make Major Mistakes"

Elián González, once known as the young boy who fled Cuba by raft, has now become a deputy and staunch advocate for the Cuban regime. He recently accused the United States government of being the root cause of Cuba's severe crisis, asserting that the Island does not commit significant errors. During a conversation with Diario Red, a news outlet that leans left politically, González argued that the Cuban people's hardships are exacerbated by U.S. foreign policies, which he described as an "economic stranglehold" orchestrated by figures like former President Donald Trump and Senator Marco Rubio.

González stated, "The blockade has been ongoing for over 60 years, but now, with individuals like Trump and Marco Rubio—an outspoken critic of Cuba—all the measures that were once merely drafted have been enacted." According to the deputy, who remains a loyal spokesperson for the regime, the sanctions imposed by Washington have "crippled the Cuban economy" and hindered the acquisition of necessary resources for development, even obstructing "normal economic exchanges with other nations."

Representing Cárdenas (Matanzas) in the National Assembly, González also defended the regime's management by stating, "It's not that we make major mistakes, but even if we did, our primary obstacle is the blockade and Cuba's inclusion on a dubious list of state sponsors of terrorism, when in fact, we have been victims of terror acts."

While speaking in Mexico at the Ninth Continental Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba, the former "poster child" of Castro's propaganda reiterated Havana's official stance, blaming the United States for the Island's internal problems without acknowledging the deep structural issues, economic inefficiencies, or the regime's political repression. Elián, who is viewed by many Cubans as a disappointment after his mother died seeking freedom for him, also took the opportunity to praise allied governments in the region, such as Claudia Sheinbaum's in Mexico and Gustavo Petro's in Colombia, for "not leaving Cuba isolated" and supporting its exclusion from the Summit of the Americas.

"Solidarity is not just material; it is also moral. Feeling the support of others lifts our spirits," he remarked.

Twenty-five years after the case that made him a symbol of the struggle between Cuba and the United States, the former young rafter now fervently supports the very system that once used him as a political pawn, blaming the "empire" for all of Cuba's issues. Recently, this spokesperson for the regime and puppet of the leadership's rhetoric has made statements that are gems of the government's propaganda campaign. In a recent declaration, González claimed that "many Cubans who have emigrated will return with joy" when the country's economic situation improves. He also opined that the ongoing exodus of Cubans in recent years is primarily due to economic reasons and expressed his belief that once the crisis is reversed, many will return "because Cubans are very patriotic and family-oriented."