Elian Gonzalez wants to return to the United States as a tourist, the 21-year-old said in his first American TV appearance as an adult.
"To the American people, first I say thank you for the love they give me," Gonzalez said in the interview with ABC News that aired Monday. "I want the time to give my love to American people."
Last month marked 15 years since Gonzalez, then just 5 years old, was taken by U.S. federal agents at gunpoint in Miami and returned to his father in Cuba.
The young Cuban rafter was at the center of a bitter custody battle between his relatives in Miami who wished to keep him in the United States and his father. The international custody battle became a hot button issue during the 2000 U.S. presidential campaign and a central focus for the U.S. and Cuban governments alike.
The boy was just shy of his sixth birthday when the small boat that was carrying him, his mother and a dozen others went down near Florida. Gonzalez's mother was among those who perished. Little Elian was found floating in an inner tube and rescued by fishermen.
In the recent interview, Gonzalez said he'd like to see a baseball game, visit Washington museums and talk to Americans.
"For my family it has always been, we always have the desire to say to the American people, to say to each household our gratitude, appreciation and love that we have," he said. "Perhaps one day we could pay a visit to the United States. I could personally thank those people who helped us, who were there by our side. Because we're so grateful for what they did."
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Gonzalez is studying engineering and is engaged to his high school sweetheart.
