由伊利安事件論美古雙邊關係

The Elián Case and the Development of US-Cuban Bilateral Relations

隨著冷戰期間兩極對抗的緩解，美國與古巴的雙邊議題即逐漸由軍事對抗轉向經濟禁運、移民法案和難民潮等問題。進入九○年代後，美國認為古巴應向民主轉型，古巴則認為美國的古巴調整法案鼓勵非法移民；美國責怪古巴不尊重人權，古巴則認為美國的經濟禁運形同種族滅絕，美古雙方關係遂在一九九六年因古巴空軍自認擊落侵入領空的美國私人救難飛機而跌到谷底。就在美古雙方僵持不下之際，古巴小男孩伊利安在一九九九年感恩節於海上單獨獲救的事件，乃成為美國政府與古巴政府間、古巴政府與古巴裔美國人間、古巴裔美國人與美國政府間折衝樽俎的焦點。伊利安事件不但引發美國和古巴對難民潮、移民政策和經濟禁運等問題的討論，同時也成為美國與古巴雙邊關係的潤滑劑。迄柯林頓與卡斯楚於二○○○年聯合國領袖高峰會握手致意，伊利安事件在美古雙方所造成的衝擊與影響，已非單一事件所能比擬。

After the alleviation of bipolar confrontation in the Cold War, instead of military confrontation, the economic embargo and immigration policy have become the focus of US-Cuban negotiations. In the 1990s, the U.S. required that Cuba accelerate their democratization and improve human right conditions while Cuba attributed the Cuban illegal immigration to the Cuban Adjustment Act and the economic embargo. The shooting down of a U.S. rescue plane in Cuban airspace brought US-Cuban relations to a nadir. Although President Clinton intended to reconcile with Cuba, he could not resist the pressure from Congress, thus the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act of 1996 (or the Helms-Burton Act) was finally approved.In this stalemate, a Cuban boy, Elián Gonzalez, was rescued from the sea the day before Thanksgiving in 1999. He became the focus of prolonged negotiations between Cuba and the US and between Cuban Americans and the US government. The problems of immigration, refugees, and the economic embargo were all brought again to the table. The Elián Case smoothed US-Cuban relations. This article explores the controversies and consensus between the U.S. and Cuba by studying the Elián Case and analyzes the possible development of future US-Cuban relations.