The Punishment Vote
From Chess Piece: The Elián González Story by My Cultura and iHeartPodcasts
November 6, 2024 · 36 min · Season 1 · Episode 7
About this episode
The episode explores the political ramifications of the Elián González case and the Cuban-American community's response during the 2000 US Presidential election.
Elián and his dad went back to Cuba in June 2000, just four months before the US Presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore. Miami Cubans, hurt and angered by President Bill Clinton’s handling of the Elián case, resolved to vote against the Democrats and for the Republicans in what was called el voto castigo — the punishment vote. To understand the political influence of Cuban-Americans, the stakes, and lasting impact of this moment, producer Tasha Sandoval takes the mic. We meet Tasha’s grandmother, an 87-year-old Miami Cuban, and learn how her story as a first wave Cuban exile informs her perspective. This season's cover art by Ranfis Suárez Ramos. Thanks to These Archival Sources: Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives Original Material Appeared In: ABC News AP Archive CBS News CNN Evening News C-SPAN Democracy Now! HBO's "537 Votes" Museum of the Moving Image National Archives NBC Evening News NBC News PBS NewsHour Retro Report The New York Times Voice of America YouTube/Plopsmom See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
People in this episode
Host: Tasha Sandoval
Guest: Tasha’s grandmother
Topics covered
- Cuban-American politics
- Elián González case
- US Presidential election
- Miami Cubans
- punishment vote
- Cuban exile experience
Keywords
- Elián González
- Cuban-Americans
- political influence
- punishment vote
- Miami Cubans
- Bill Clinton
- George W. Bush
- Al Gore
- Cuban exile
- US elections
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: My Cultura, iHeartPodcasts
Books & works: 537 Votes
Places: Cuba, Miami
More episodes of Chess Piece: The Elián González Story
- Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York (hosted by Rosie Perez) · June 2, 2026 · 40 min
- The First Time The Men’s World Cup Came to the U.S.A. · May 29, 2026 · 27 min
- Introducing – La Brega: Season Three · February 11, 2026 · 36 min
- Through Each Other’s Eyes · November 27, 2024 · 24 min
- "Crazy Cubans" · November 20, 2024 · 23 min
- Being Home · November 13, 2024 · 31 min
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