This conduct has a political explanation. Earlier in the week, published opinion polls showed massive opposition among the American people to the position of the Miami relatives, and general support for the efforts of Juan Miguel Gonzalez to reclaim his son. There were reports of demoralization among the right-wing forces in Miami and a dwindling turnout of protesters at the home of Lazaro Gonzalez. But the actions of Clinton and Reno and the intervention of the courts has re-emboldened the extreme right. The Clinton administration is terrified of a direct confrontation with these ultra-right forces, not merely because of the electoral concerns of Vice President Al Gore, but because these elements enjoy considerable support within the capitalist state itself, where the CIA, FBI and Pentagon have all forged close ties with them on the basis of rabid anticommunism.
Similar ties exist within both political parties.
These events demonstrate that the defense of democratic rights cannot be left in the hands of the federal government. It is virtually prostrate before fascists who conduct themselves in Miami as though they constituted an independent and sovereign state, defying not only court orders and the law, but public opinion, which overwhelmingly favors return of Elian to his father. The WSWS invites your comments. Please send e-mail .