''Chess Piece: The Elian Gonzalez Story'' Podcast Debuts

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, September 25, 2024 | 11:45am CT

''Chess Piece: The Elian Gonzalez Story''

My Cultura, iHeartMedia's podcast network focused on amplifying Latinx voices, has partnered with Futuro Studios to release a new 10-episode podcast series entitled "Chess Piece: The Elian Gonzalez Story." Hosted by investigative journalist Peniley Ramirez, the series delves into the dramatic 1999 rescue and custody battle surrounding then five-year-old Elian Gonzalez, whose survival and subsequent legal dispute sparked international attention and ignited political tensions between the U.S. and Cuba.

The podcast revisits the events of Thanksgiving 1999 when Elian was found near the Florida coast after his mother and others drowned while fleeing Cuba. For Cuban Americans, Elian's survival was seen as miraculous, but his fate became a contentious issue as family members in Miami fought to keep him in the U.S., while the Cuban government demanded his return to his father. The situation rapidly escalated into a high-stakes political struggle, highlighting the personal trauma of family separation that many Cuban families have endured.

Peniley Ramirez, who herself has experienced family separation, intertwines her personal story with that of Elian. At age 11, her father defected from Cuba during an official trip to the U.S., leaving behind his homeland permanently. Through this personal lens, Ramirez brings listeners into the complex realities of life in Cuba, Cuban-American exile, and the broader geopolitical implications that Elian's case exposed.

"This is the most personal project I have worked on in my entire career," said Ramirez. "Twenty-five years after Elian's rescue, his story remains deeply relevant, not just to the Cuban community, but to the politics of our region and the thousands of Cuban families who have endured the pain of separation."

Futuro Studios Executive Editor Maria Garcia said, "Peniley's unique perspective, having lived in communist Cuba and now within the exile community, allows listeners to see the humanity and trauma in this story. It's a story about family, pain, and love at its core."

The series also examines the lasting political impact of Elian's case, including the U.S. government's decision under President Bill Clinton to return Elian to his father in Cuba, which sparked widespread anger in the Cuban-American community.

The first episode is available starting Wednesday, with new episodes released weekly.