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Thousands of Cubans Honor Elian Gonzalez in Streets of Havana

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DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: The legal and political battles over Elian Gonzalez continue. The nun who hosted a reunion between the youngster and his grandmothers is expected to discuss the boy's case with Attorney General Janet Reno today. Sister Jeanne O'Laughlin says that Elian should stay in the U.S. She says, at first she believed that the 6-year-old should go back to Cuba.

The grandmothers are said to be gaining ground in their effort to persuade Congress to reject legislation granting young Elian U.S. citizenship. The two women are expected to continue lobbying lawmakers today before heading back to Cuba tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Elian's Miami relatives are back in Florida today. Yesterday, they made rounds on Capitol Hill. They are pushing for support for the citizenship bill.

The people of Cuba are closely watching the Elian Gonzalez case.

CNN's Martin Savidge has that part of the story.

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MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Thousands of Cubans carrying torches took to the streets of Havana late Thursday, the march traditionally held to mark the birthday of Jose Marti, one of the most revered figures in Cuban history. But the event was also for Cuba's newest national hero: 6-year-old Elian Gonzalez.

REV. DONAS DEASE: I hope that that little boy comes home here. This is where he belongs. I feel very strongly about that. His father is here, both grandparents are here.

SAVIDGE: There has been no official reaction from the Cuban government on a U.S. federal judge's decision not to hold a hearing on an asylum request for Elian until March. Instead, officials here are still stinging over the meeting between Elian's grandmothers and the young boy. They call the conditions of the reunion more like a prison visit.

RICARDO ALARCON, PRESIDENT, CUBAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY: Elian was in sort of a prison, a "neutral prison," quote, unquote. And, at some point, the warden arrived there and put an end to the meeting, another violation. SAVIDGE: Meanwhile, Elian's Cuban father continues to defend his decision not to travel to the United States to try and get his son back.

JUAN MIGUEL GONZALEZ, ELIAN'S FATHER (through translator): My presence over there is impossible, totally impossible, because I will not go there, I will not travel there. I am not willing to allow them to use me. I don't have to go to court proceedings, I don't have to negotiate anything regarding my boy. It simply is a matter of fact he is my son and he belongs to me.

SAVIDGE (on camera): Unofficially, Cuban leaders have said the protracted legal process for Elian Gonzalez is just another example of a broken pledge by the United States, promising swift action and then failing to follow through.

Martin Savidge, CNN, Havana.

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