By The Associated Press

          MIAMI (AP) -- Some Cuban-Americans are severing ties to the
          Democratic Party to protest the government's removal of Elian Gonzalez
          from his Miami relatives.

          ``I've always voted Democratic,'' said Isidro Perez, 74, who on Monday
          went with his wife, son and daughter-in-law to the Miami-Dade County
          Elections Office to change their party affiliation to independent.

          The four Cuban-Americans were among dozens of voters who either
          showed up in person at the county elections office or called in for advice
          on making the change. In addition, about 60 people switched party
          affiliations with the help of a clerk at the Latin Chamber of Commerce in
          Little Havana.

          Many offered criticism of the Justice Department's raid last Saturday, a
          move supported by President Clinton.

          ``The worst was them putting a machine gun in Elian's face,'' said Marta
          Acosta, 58, who along with her husband switched to the Republican
          Party on Monday.

          Agustin Garcia, vice chairman for outreach of the Miami-Dade
          Democratic Party, blames Clinton, not his party.

          ``I respect those going to independent as a protest, but those that go
          Republican are no better, said Garcia, who was outside the home of
          Elian's Miami relatives during the raid.

          Cuban-Americans in Florida, unlike a majority of Hispanics elsewhere in
          the country, tend to vote Republican. Their unified bloc attracts the
          attention of Congress and presidential candidates seeking Florida's 25
          electoral votes.

          The Democratic Party is examining how it might start mending fences
          with Miami's Cuban community.

          ``That is going to be part of my agenda this week, to sort of figure out
          what we need to do there,'' said Bob Poe, chairman of the Florida
          Democratic Party. ``We want to make sure we are building bridges and
          not tearing them down.''