Elián González, famously known as the "raft boy," who currently serves as a deputy in Cuba's National Assembly of People's Power, dismissed claims in an interview with the Asturian newspaper El Comercio that he was politically exploited by the Cuban regime. However, when asked for self-criticism of the island's government, he was either unable or unwilling to point out any mistakes.
González is in Gijón attending the XVIII State Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba, an event drawing over 200 participants and 45 organizations.
González's Response to Allegations
During the event, a journalist asked him if he felt used, not just by Miami exiles but also by the Cuban government. "No, I don't feel that way. My father would never use me," González replied, seemingly confusing the question about the regime with a reference to his father.
When the interviewer clarified that the question was about the Cuban government and not his father, González dodged further: "What they did was return me to my father, and everything that has happened since is not because it was politicized but because it was my will to do so."
He did acknowledge, however, that the exile community tried to use his case: "The Cuban exile community wanted to use my case as a trophy against Cuba," he stated.
Views on the Cuban Government and U.S. Embargo
When asked to critique the Cuban government's errors, González couldn't name a single one. He deflected the issue, saying, "The truth is, it would be difficult for me to tell you. I wish I knew what needs to be done to get out of this situation," placing the blame solely on the U.S. embargo.
He asserted that "Cuba is under a triple siege like never before" and labeled as "slanderous and vile" any denial that the island is under U.S. embargo, which he blamed for fuel shortages and the economic crisis affecting the Cuban people.
Consistent with his prior statements, in October 2025, during the IX Continental Solidarity Meeting with Cuba in Mexico, González blamed the United States for all of Cuba's problems and claimed that the government "does not commit major errors."
In May 2026, he defended Raúl Castro after the U.S. Department of Justice filed criminal charges regarding the 1996 shootdown of Brothers to the Rescue planes, dismissing the charges as "a sham."
On Potential U.S. Military Intervention
Regarding a potential military intervention by the Trump administration in Cuba, González commented, "We fear an intervention because of what it could mean in terms of loss of life, but not from the perspective of confronting it. We do not fear facing the United States as an enemy."
At the Gijón meeting, González shared the stage with Fidel Castro Smirnov, Fidel Castro's grandson, under the title "The Cuba That Comes: Memory, Future of Peace and Revolution."
The event is part of the centennial celebrations of Fidel Castro's birth and the regime's international propaganda agenda.
González, an industrial engineer and father of a daughter, works as an assistant director at AT Comercial Varadero, a company under GAESA, the military-business conglomerate controlling much of the Cuban economy. He was elected as a deputy for the municipality of Cárdenas in March 2023.
He has previously stated that his "greatest privilege" is being called "Fidel's boy."
Insights on Elián González's Role and Perspective
Why does Elián González deny being used by the Cuban regime?
Elián González maintains that he was not used by the Cuban regime, suggesting that his actions and decisions have been of his own volition, and he does not feel exploited by the government.
What is González's stance on the U.S. embargo against Cuba?
González attributes the economic difficulties and fuel shortages in Cuba to the U.S. embargo, describing it as a significant burden on the nation and dismissing claims that deny its impact as slanderous.
How has González been involved in Cuba's political landscape?
Elián González serves as a deputy in Cuba's National Assembly and works within AT Comercial Varadero, a company under GAESA. He is actively involved in events that support the Cuban regime's agenda.