Fidel Castro’s decision to raise the stakes over 6-year-old Elian Gonzalez is calculated to score propaganda points at home — and put the Clinton administration on the defensive over immigration, experts say.
By making the decision to become personally involved in the case and transforming it into an international crisis, the 73-year-old Castro is deliberately putting at risk months of efforts to improve ties between Washington and Havana.
The effort has been symbolized by this year’s Baltimore Orioles-Cuban National Team baseball exhibitions and last Friday’s New York-to-Havana charter flight.
“Fidel is making another one of his deliberate tantrums. A guy who has stayed in power for four decades and has survived eight American presidents is clearly no fool and this is clearly an issue he thinks he can win,” said Jose Sorzano, former director of Latin American Affairs for the White House National Security Council.
“His priority has never been improved relations with the States. His priority is preserving his regime,” said Richard Haas of the Brookings Institution.
Castro’s fiery speech denouncing U.S. authorities for failing to return little Elian to his father in Cuba comes against the backdrop of ongoing talks with the Clinton administration on the issue of migration.
Havana is now accusing Washington of violating migration treaties that call on U.S. authorities to return boat people trying to escape Cuba.
“You can look at what he is doing as a negotiating tactic,” Sorzano said.
Last week, Castro also canceled a scheduled visit to Seattle to attend the World Trade Organization conference where he was to hold a series of talks with members of Congress and trade officials. It was an opportunity for him to chip away at the 37-year-old U.S. economic embargo.
But Castro accused the Clinton administration and anti-Castro groups of trying to arrest him.
The Cuban media was also filled with reports of the rioting at the WTO conference with commentary accusing the Seattle police of brutality and the Clinton administration of hypocrisy in its denunciation of Cuba’s human rights.
“This is a very old and familiar pattern for Castro,” said Louis Goodwin, Dean in International Relations at American University.