The 6-year-old Cuban boy at the centre of a political tug-of-war between Washington and Havana got ready for Christmas yesterday in Miami with more toys and attention than he could ever have dreamed of at home.
US immigration authorities have postponed a hearing on the status of Elian Gonzalez until January 21st. The boy survived the ordeal of a disastrous migrant smuggling trip from Cuba, in which his mother died, only to be fought over by family and ideological foes.
Cuban exiles have adopted the boy as a mascot for their anticommunist cause in Miami, where relatives are looking after him.
His father, who chose to stay in Cuba, and the Cuban authorities, are demanding that he should be returned to Havana. The case has aroused a high level of popular support in Cuba.
At his relatives' home in Miami's Little Havana district, Elian helped decorate a Christmas tree, and received so many presents that most will be donated to charity.