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By Daniela Capistrano

A lot has changed for Cuban teen Elian Gonzalez. Ten years ago, he was a 5-year-old asylum-seeker, caught between two worlds and a symbol of the struggle against Fidel Castro's communist regime.

Gonzalez taken by U.S. immigration officials in 2000 (AP Photo)

The Cuban immigrant community in Florida rallied behind the boy's family in Miami while they fought for custody, but ultimately U.S. immigration officials insisted that the he be returned to his father in Havana. The subsequent raid on Elian's home and the boy's frightened image struck a cord with many.

A decade later, the Cuban government has released new photos of a (nearly) grown-up Elian Gonzalez.

image via AP Photo/Ismael Francisco

Now a member of the Young Communist Union, the stoic-looking 16-year-old can be seen with a closely cropped haircut and an olive-green military school uniform.

According to The Newsroom, the Cuban government press released the images under the none-too-subtle headline "Young Elian Gonzalez defends his revolution in the youth congress."

Since Elian's return to Cuba ten years ago, the Castro regime has closely monitored the boy and his father. In his homeland, Elian Gonzalez is hailed as a national hero who embodies the triumph of Cuba over the United States. Every few years, the Cuban government has floated news updates and photographs trumpeting Elian's progress as a model young citizen of the Castro regime.

Castro has been known to show up at Elian's birthday parties and school graduation ceremonies. In 2005, in an interview with CBS' Bob Simon for "60 Minutes," Elian referred to Castro "not only as a friend, but also as a father."

Despite the propaganda, many aren't convinced by their sentiments. After the latest batch of photos went public Monday, Elian Gonzalez has been a trending topic on Twitter.

The American Thinker has released this statement:

"If Elian had been granted asylum, today he would be a teenager preparing to go to college with every opportunity for success ahead of him. Instead, on the cusp of adulthood, Elian poses for propaganda photos sandwiched between Cuban army soldiers attending the Union of Young Communists congress in Havana...

The youthful Gonzalez should have been wrapped in the America flag. Instead a boy who once represented the quest for the God given right to be free, waves a Cuban flag symbolizing poverty, oppression, authoritarianism and misinformation."

Tr3s Comunidad, how do you feel about Elian's life in Cuba? Tell us in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags Cuban, Elian Gonzalez, grown up, Photos, teen

CNN news anchor, Soledad O'Brien was at the MTV headquarters this Monday with an exclusive screening of her upcoming documentary Latino in America, in which she explores the Latino experience in the United States. She herself is Latina as her full name suggests, Maria de la Soledad Teresa O'Brien. Her mother is Afro-Cuban and her father is from Australia, with an Irish and Scottish background - that explains the freckles on her face!

Last month, when Blogamole interviewed Soledad O'Brien at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute's 32nd Annual Awards Gala, la periodista shared with us her parents' experience in the United States and how they were forced to go to Washington D.C. to get married because interracial marriage was illegal at the time in Maryland, where they met.  Now, 40 years later, there are a different set of challenges that lie ahead for people of color. In this 2-part documentary, O'Brien introduces us to Latinos of all different ages and across the U.S., who share their personal stories.

The first part of the documentary is called "The Garcias," which O'Brien tells us is the 8th most popular surname in the U.S. today.  In this portion of the story, we are introduced to a handful of Garcias from all across the nation, including Cindy Garcia, a student who is struggling to catch up on credits - taking classes from 8am to 8:30pm - in order to graduate high school. Two weeks shy from finishing her classes, Cindy discovers something life-changing that may keep her from completing her credits.

In the second part of the documentary, O'Brien takes us to different Latino communities, including Miami, where we meet Martha, a 15-year-old girl who came to the U.S. illegally by crossing the Rio Grande river on a tire tube, despite not knowing how to swim, because she wanted to find her mother. Although she finds her, she is faced with an unfortunate circumstance that lands her in court, facing deportation. We witness as she struggles to stay in the U.S. instead of being sent back to a country where no one can take care of her.

Inspired by the stories collected for her documentary, O'Brien decided to write a book with the same name, Latino in America, where she not only includes more revealing accounts and never-before-seen interviews and exclusive photos from the special, but also tells the story of her own life.  El libro esta disponible in stores now.

Here is a short clip of Latino in America where Soledad O'Brien interviews Eva Longoria Parker. Watch to find out why Eva Longoria's nickname was "the ugly one" growing up!

Photos via Getty Images

Tags CHCI 32nd Annual Awards Gala, CNN, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, Cuban, Eva Longoria Parker, Latinos, Latinos in America, Soledad O'Brien, Washington DC

William Levy hurt himself on the set of his new telenovela, Sortilegio, in Mexico.   Pero no te preocupes, he only suffered minor injuries.  Our Latino Brad Pitt broke his right pinky finger while shooting a fight scene with co-star David Zepeda.  Pobrecito!  We can only imagine cuantas mujeres would have given anything to be there to nurse his wounds!

So what exactly happened on set?

“Pues, una de las escenas que estaba grabando con Bruno, entonces tengo que pegarle y en una de esas cae al piso. Le di, obviamente no puedo darle de verdad, y entonces en el piso dándole y bang que le doy al piso, o sea de verdad al suelo le di. Y yanga que [me] rompí el dedo”

We're just happy it was nothing serious! [People En Español]

Photo via Getty Images

Tags broken finger, Cuban, david zepeda, Fight, latino brad pitt, Mexico, punch, Soap Opera, Sortilegio, Telenovela, William Levy

President Barack Obama has hand picked Grammy Award winning music producer and songwriter, Emilio Estefan to join the Commision to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of the American Latino.

Que qué?

Emilio is going to be a part of a group that will help create a museum in Washington, DC that will be dedicated to celebrating the history and achievements of Latinos in America.

A place to celebrate Latinos all year long? Well that can't be too bad.  ¡Que vivan Los Latinos!

[Perez Hilton]

Photo via Getty Images

Tags Cuban, Emilio Estefan, Gloria Estefan, Grammy, Latino, museums, Music, Obama, President Barack Obama, Washington DC

We recently told all you fanáticos del baile que en la cuarta temporada de America's Best Dance Crew a spicy and exciting Latino dance crew, Afroboriké, would battle for the title. We weren't well acquainted with the group at the time, pero finalmente las primeras fotos de los bailadores han llegado!

Peep the sexy (and flexible) pics that MTV snapped of Season 4's Latino crew: Alain, Elisabet, Josué, Veronica, Zoeth and Miguel.

Get more pix of Afroboriké on MTV.com.  Then, break out your dancing shoes for some mambo, salsa and hip-hop.  Watch America's Best Dance Crew on MTV Tr3s starting Saturday, August 15th at 7PM.

Images via Ewan Burns

Tags afroborike, alain, America's Best Dance Crew, baile, Cuban, Dance, dance crew, elisabet, Exclusive Photos, Fotos Exclusivas, latino crew, miguel, new photos, nuevas fotos, Photos, primeras fotos, puerto rican, sidelay, veronica

Eva Mendes is no stranger to high-profile chismes involving her rehab episode back in February, but la diva stopped the drama (and upped the attitude) in its tracks by putting an entertainment journalist in check during her Interview Magazine feature entrevista.

Read more...

Tags Celebrity Rehab, Chisme, Cuban, David Colman, Entertainment, Eva Mendes, Gossip, Interview Magazine, Latin Gossip, Rehab

Ever wonder what it would be like to have Pitbull all to yourself even for just a minute? What would you say? More importantly, what would you wear?

MTV Tr3s is giving you the chance to find out all about Mr. 305 in person, over an intimate meal, with our Rock Dinner Sweepstakes. Rock Dinner is treating you and Pitbull to a night on the town. No bothering with finding his favorite recipe, or slaving over the stove and calling mami for advice every cinco minutos. This time around you get pampered like the fabulous diva you are. So hurry up and enter now here; your Cuban cutie is waiting!

Ahem, why are you still reading this??? You better Go Girl and enter the sweeps. Then, start picking out tu ropa -- y'know that Mr. 305 likes his shorties styled up just so!

Tags cocina, Cuban, Mr. 305, Pitbull, Rock Diner, sweepstakes