Raging Cuban-Americans protested Barack Obama at the US Conference of Mayors today in Miami.
Cuban Americans protest against Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) during the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Miami, Florida, June 21, 2008. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria)
Besides his commitment to meet with Castro, Cuban Americans are angered that Obama has picked up two advisors who worked to deport Elian Gonzalez back to Cuba.
NBC6 reported:
Obama has some foes in South Florida’s large Cuban-American community. And some of those detractors plan to protest Saturday outside the Intercontinental Hotel as Obama speaks to the mayors’ conference.
Protesters claim two of Obama’s advisers were responsible for putting 6-year-old Cuban refugee Elian Gonzalez into the hands of federal agents.
Those advisers are Eric Holder and Gregg Craig.
Holder, now a member of Obama’s campaign team, worked for Attorney General Janet Reno during the controversy. Gregg Craig, an Obama advisor on Latin America, represented Elian’s father in the international custody case.
In April 2000, federal agents took the little boy, now 14, from his relatives in Miami after they lost their fight to keep him in the United States.
Elian had survived a boating accident off the Florida coast that killed his mother, who was attempting to get to the U.S.
Elian’s relatives in Cuba will be among the protesters outside the hotel Saturday.
The protesters may also be upset that Obama will not condemn the actions of Che Guevara.
That might have something to do with it.
UPDATE: It probably didn’t help Obama that his advisor Eric Holder played dumb about the whole Elian Gonzalez incident:
Eric Holder was unconvincing in his defense of the horrible incident that he took part in.
