Translation is by The Miami Herald.

 City of Havana, 30 March 2000

 The Hon. Trent Lott, Senate majority leader
 The Hon. Tom Daschle, Senate minority leader

 Esteemed senators:

 We have learned that some senators have submitted a bill to turn Elian Gonzalez
 Brotons and all of us into permanent residents of the United States.

 We are frankly surprised that someone could arrogate to himself that initiative
 without our consent and without even asking any of us for our opinion. We wish to
 state for the record that we are not in accord with the aforementioned bill and we
 hope that the U.S. Senate will not approve it.

 We would like to remind the honorable senators of the American Declaration of
 Human Rights and Duties, approved unanimously at the Ninth International
 Conference of the Americas, Bogota 1948, which in Article VIII specifically
 establishes:

 ``Every person has the right to set up residence in the territory of the State of
 which he is a national, to travel through it freely and to not abandon it, except of
 his own free will.''

 We reject the attempt to deprive us arbitrarily of that right. We especially reject,
 with the utmost vigor, the real purpose of that bill, which is none other than to
 perpetuate the arbitrary retention of Elian Gonzalez Brotons in the territory of the
 United States, in clear violation of international norms and despite the decision
 announced by the INS on 5 January, whose full validity was confirmed on 21
 March by federal judge Moore.

 Elian Gonzalez Brotons was only five years old when, after losing his mother, he
 was prevented from returning the bosom of his family. Since then, more than four
 months have elapsed that have caused unspeakable suffering to both the boy and
 us.

 We have never done any harm to the United States, its people or its senators.
 Why do we continue to be subjected to such unfair and cruel punishment?

 Trusting that you will know enough to place respect for the integrity of the familial
 institution above any other consideration, we remain

 Very truly yours,
 Juan Miguel Gonzalez [Elian's father]
 Nersy Carmenate [stepmother]
 Hianny Gonzalez [half-brother]
 Juan Gonzalez [paternal grandfather]
 Mariela Quintana [paternal grandmother]
 Rolando Betancourt [maternal grandfather]
 Raquel Rodriguez [maternal grandmother]

                     Copyright 2000 Miami Herald