MIAMI (AP) — The neighborhood that once boiled with rage over Elian Gonzalez is finally quiet.
The 6-year-old Cuban boy hadn't lived here for two months, not since federal agents whisked him away from the Little Havana house his Miami relatives wanted him to call home.
The relatives have moved, seeking privacy. And the crowd that gathered at the bungalow where Elian lived for five months was small, shouting and crying as the boy's plane left before dispersing.
"I was crying all day. I feel betrayed," said Ismary Sosa, a 40-year-old travel agent. "I've lived in this country since I was 3 years old, and I believe in the laws. But there's no justice in this case."
It was a stark contrast to the crowds of protesters that took to the streets after federal agents stormed the home and seized Elian on April 22.
Officials didn't want a similar scenario Wednesday and they didn't see one. Still, some feel the saga isn't over. "He came to complete a mission here and now he is going to complete it over there," said Delfin Gonzalez, Elian's great-uncle.
Elian was rescued from the Atlantic Ocean on Thanksgiving Day after a boat leaving Cuba for Miami sank, killing his mother and 10 others. He stayed with his Miami relatives until the federal raid. The case finally wound up before the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to allow the boy to stay.
Many in Little Havana seemed to accept Wednesday's Supreme Court decision.
"He had his day in court. That's it," said Octavio Oliu, a 54-year-old Cuban-born engineer. "I would have been upset if he hadn't had his day in court. As a citizen of this country, that's all I can ask."