Visas approved for Elian's immediate family
By George Gedda, Associated Press, 04/03/00
WASHINGTON -- The State Department cleared the way Monday night for Juan Miguel Gonzalez to travel to the United States so he can pursue his quest to be reunited with his son Elian, as negotiations continued between immigration officials and the boy's Miami relatives.
The department granted the senior Gonzalez's visa request along with those of his wife, infant son and Elian's male cousin, kindergarten teacher and pediatrician. The visas for the six could be issued as early as Tuesday.
The Cubans' request for 22 other visas -- to Elian's classmates as well as National Assembly President Rafael Alarcon, a top aide to Cuban President Fidel Castro, was still being reviewed. State Department spokesman James P. Rubin said U.S. diplomats in Havana will submit lists of questions to the Cuban government concerning these requests to determine the merits of the cases.
Negotiations over the custody issues recessed Monday night without any word on whether any progress had been made.
Manny Diaz, attorney for Elian Gonzalez's Miami relatives, said, "We continue to be first and foremost concerned about the mental, psychological well-being of this young 6-year-old. To that extent we have spent a lot of time talking about numerous issues and we will be back tomorrow to continue our conversations."
Outside the family's Miami house, Elian and two cousins played on a slide. They hid behind a blue tarp hung in front of the slide and teased photographers by pretending to shoot at them with toy guns.
About 150 protesters gathered in front of the home, some waving signs like "Miss Reno are you ready for another Waco? We are." and "Clinton Coward, Reno Witch, Fidel Loco." Reno was a reference to Attorney General Janet Reno.
The Immigration and Naturalization Service had said earlier it would end the Miami relatives' custody of Elian on Tuesday morning if they did not agree to give him up if they lose an appeal of a federal court decision they lost last month.
But the negotiations shifted Monday to how to reunite Elian with his father when he arrives in this country. "Tuesday's deadline has been superseded by this change of issues," a Justice Department official said.
"Our goal is to reunite Elian and his father," said Maria Cardona, a spokeswoman for the Immigration and Naturalization Service. "The issue is not whether we will transfer Elian to his father, but when and how."
Robert Wallis, the Immigration Service's director for the Miami district, said late Monday, "Revocation of Elian's parole tomorrow has been superseded by the expected arrival of Juan Miguel Gonzalez in the United States. Once Mr. Gonzalez comes, the INS will begin transferring parole care from Lazaro Gonzalez to the boy's father."
Wallis added that the transfer of temporary custody "does not mean that the child will be immediately removed from the home of the great uncle. Instead it is our hope to begin a smooth and orderly process that will create as little disruption as possible to Elian."
Juan Miguel Gonzalez has not seen his son since the boy was rescued off the Florida coast more than four months ago. The child has become the target of an impassioned international custody fight.
He and his family would stay at the home of Cuba's chief diplomat in Washington, Fernando Remirez, who lives in an upscale suburban Maryland neighborhood. Remirez, his wife and two children will vacate the house to make room for the visitors from Cuba.
A government official who requested anonymity said there is a possibility that Juan Miguel will travel from Washington to Miami to pick up his son but not necessarily to the home of Lazaro Gonzalez, the great-uncle with whom Elian has been staying.
Lazaro Gonzalez said Monday night, "If the father comes or not we don't know, but he is welcome here. Don't ever doubt the Gonzalez family has their door open for their family"
Outside the great uncle's home, protesters practiced forming a human chain and vowed they would stop at nothing to keep the boy from returning to Cuba.
"They would have to go over the bodies of all of us Cubans who are here," said Maria Gonzalez, 70, who is not related to the boy. "They would have to kill us all."
Lazaro Gonzalez is appealing a federal judge's ruling that affirms an INS order to return the boy to his father in Cuba.
Miami family members have said they will abide by any government ruling, insisting only that the transition take Elian's psychological well-being into account.
The boy was rescued off the Florida coast on Thanksgiving after spending 50 hours alone on an inner tube. His mother and 10 others died in their attempt to flee Cuba.
Elian spent part of Monday playing with a pet rabbit in the back yard of Lazaro Gonzalez's home, while in front protesters practiced forming a human chain, sitting on the ground with their arms linked.
Many protesters stomped their feet as Ramon Saul Sanchez, leader of the Miami-based anti-Castro group Democracy Movement, used a bullhorn to call for Cuban-Americans to come to the home to protect Elian. The Miami area has nearly 800,000 Cuban-American residents.
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush met with safety officials to determine how to respond to possible unrest if Elian is removed from the Little Havana home.
Despite Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas' statement last week that local authorities would not assist the federal government if it attempted to remove Elian, the county police department said it is ready to respond to protests.
Elian Gonzalez is carried in the arms of his cousin Marisleysis Gonzalez March 24 in Miami. (AP photo)
