Havana (CNN)Elián González, the Cuban boy whose custody battle stoked Cold War-era tensions, has been nominated to serve in the island's National Assembly, the communist-party daily Granma said Monday.
The newspaper referred to González, now 29, as "representing the most worthy of the Cuban youth."
González's nomination all but secures his post in the 470-seat National Assembly that meets several times a year to discuss proposed laws, which the body usually votes unanimously to approve.
Under Cuban law, municipal assemblies nominate a single candidate to the National Assembly, which then Cubans can either ratify or vote against.
Serving in the National Assembly would be the highest profile position for González since the agonizing custody battle between his father and relatives in Miami that led to the boy's return to the communist-run island in 2000.
On Thanksgiving Day 1999, González, then six years old, shot to fame after he was rescued from the Florida straits.