Elian's grandmothers Rodriguez, left, and Quintana say they want to see their grandson but will not travel to Miami where the boy is currently living

January 21, 2000
Web posted at: 9:08 p.m. EST (0208 GMT)

In this story: Council of Churches acts as intermediary No plans to go to Miami Miami relatives won't bring Elian to New York Judge withdraws from case 'Kid is fighting against two countries' RELATED STORIES, SITES

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Attorney General Janet Reno and INS Commissioner Doris Meissner have agreed to meet with the two grandmothers of 6-year-old Elian Gonzalez on Saturday in Washington at the Justice Department, according to government sources.

Reno is expected to hear the grandmothers' plea for the boy to be returned to his father in Cuba, but Justice officials say the custody litigation process is to continue unless the families can reach a settlement out of court. And even then, the lawsuit in federal court would have to be withdrawn, the sources said.

ALSO    VIDEO CNN's John Zarrella reports on the arrival of Elian's grandmothers. (January 21) Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K     MESSAGE BOARD US/Cuba relations

Elian's grandmothers pleaded for the 6-year-old's return to Cuba during an emotional news conference shortly after their arrival in the United States.

The chartered private jet carrying the two women landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Friday afternoon after a three-hour flight from Havana.

"The child must go back home. We are here for that," said Elian's paternal grandmother, Mariela Quintana. She said only that would end "this tragedy that is so hard for us as a family."

Elian has been in the United States living with distant relatives since November 25, when he was rescued off the coast of Florida after surviving the capsizing of a boat carrying illegal Cuban migrants.

His mother was among 11 Cubans who drowned; Elian was one of three survivors.

Elian's great uncle says the boy saw his grandparents on television for a few seconds and then continued playing with his toys

Council of Churches acts as intermediary

Raquel Rodriguez, the boy's maternal grandmother, denied that it was the will of Elian's dead mother that he remain in the United States. Rodriguez said she doubted it was her daughter's free choice to attempt the voyage to the United States.

"She had a person living with her that was very violent, sometimes very harsh, and he pushed her to be in that situation," said Rodriguez.

The grandmother also said her daughter would not rest in peace until Elian was returned.

The women were accompanied by a three-member delegation of the National Council of Churches (NCC) and the president of Cuba's Council of Churches.

The NCC, a New York-based group, has been acting as an intermediary in the bitter custody dispute over the boy. The organization also chartered the plane.

The Rev. Robert Edgar, general secretary of the NCC, said everyone was praying and added, "We believe in miracles."

No plans to go to Miami

Edgar also said the two women had "no plans to go to Miami, but do want to meet their grandson as soon as possible."

Rodriguez said there were so many things she wanted to tell Elian, but it was likely they would cry a lot because it's been 63 days since they've seen the boy.

Quintana said Elian told his father over the phone that he wanted to return to Cuba.

Elian's father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez, has remained in Cuba, saying he would be concerned for his safety if he came to the United States.

Miami relatives won't bring Elian to New York

Elian's cousin would like the grandmothers to come to Miami to see the boy 205K/19 sec. AIFF or WAV sound

In Miami, Lazaro Gonzalez, the great-uncle who has been granted temporary custody of the child, said Elian saw his grandmothers on television for a few seconds and then continued playing with his toys.

"The grandmothers will be welcomed by the exile community to come here," the great-uncle said. "They can come and see the child. We will prepare a dinner so that they can eat with the child. We have nothing against them."

Jorge Mas Santos, son of Jorge Mas Canosa, who founded the influential Cuban-American National Foundation, said he watched the grandmothers' news conference on television and was not impressed.

"The two grandmothers have arrived in New York merely to repeat the propaganda of the Castro regime," he said, outside the great-uncle's home.

Elian wandered around the yard, wearing jeans and a long sleeve shirt -- a cell phone pressed to his ear.

"I ask myself why these two grandmothers, why they're not here in Miami to be next to him, to hug him, to give him the love they profess they want to give him. Instead they're in New York repeating propaganda," Mas Santos said.

Marisleysis Gonzalez, Elian's cousin, said, "I think they're afraid to come here and hear the truth from the child: That he wants to stay here."

Elian's great-uncle Delfin Gonzalez said earlier that the family has no plans to allow Elian to go to New York to meet his grandmothers.

He said the family has had no contact with the grandmothers and does not plan to allow the women to take the boy back to Cuba.

"That has to go to court so that justice and the law of this country can resolve this problem," he said. "The boy is going to be raised here with a healthy and clean mind."

Roger Bernstein, one of the lawyers retained by Elian's Miami relatives, said the visit by the grandmothers would not affect proceedings in federal court to determine Elian's fate. The relatives have asked a federal judge to prevent Elian's return before he has an asylum hearing.

The Immigration and Naturalization Service has ordered Elian returned to his father in Cuba. But Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Rosa Rodriguez granted temporary custody of Elian to Lazaro Gonzalez until a hearing scheduled for March.

Judge withdraws from case

Federal Judge James Lawrence King withdrew Friday from the suit filed by Elian's Miami relatives. No reason for the judge's withdrawal was publicly announced.

Senior federal Judge William Hoeveler will replace King.

King had asked lawyers one day earlier if they preferred that he step aside because of his ties to both sides.

The judge said his son hired Armando Gutierrez, now working as a spokesman for Elian's Miami relatives, to help in his re-election bid. King's daughter is an assistant U.S. attorney in Miami.

Gutierrez also has ties to Judge Rodriguez. He worked as a political consultant for her 1998 election campaign.

Rodriguez said she was not required to remove herself from the case because of the affiliation.

'Kid is fighting against two countries'

The grandmothers' visit is the latest twist in the tortuous custody battle over Elian, which has pitted Cuban President Fidel Castro's government against its anti-Communist exile foes in Miami, who want the boy to stay in the United States.

"This kid went through a lot to get here, so we should all understand that maybe that's what the kid wants," Gutierrez said. "Up until now, it's what Castro wants, the U.S. government wants. This kid is fighting against two countries, and he's always saying what his mother wanted."

Castro's government has strongly criticized U.S. President Bill Clinton and his administration for not promptly implementing the INS ruling to send Elian back to his father in Cuba.

Havana argues that by not acting quickly, the U.S. government allowed time for legal and political moves by the Miami relatives -- and their Cuban exile and U.S. political supporters -- to keep him in the United States.

Those moves include an initiative in Congress to grant Elian U.S. citizenship.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Connie Mack, R-Florida, could be brought up for a vote by midweek, said Majority Leader Sen. Trent Lott, R-Mississippi.

In the House, companion legislation will be introduced by Rep. Bill McCollum, R-Florida, among others. House Majority Leader Rep. Dick Armey of Texas said GOP leaders in the House had made no decision on how swiftly to push for passage.

The effort to grant Elian U.S. citizenship was denounced by Quintana.

She said, "Nobody has the right to make Elian an American citizen. He was born in Cuba, lived in Cuba and he is a Cuban. And no one outside (of Cuba) -- even the Congress or the president -- has the right to change his status."

Havana Bureau Chief Lucia Newman; Correspondents Martin Savidge, Susan Candiotti and Gary Tuchman; Producer Terry Frieden and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.