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Morning News

Elian Gonzalez Case: Diplomats Arrange for Cuban Delegation to U.S.; Miami Family Insists Upon Psychological Evaluation for Boy

Aired April 4, 2000 - 10:09 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the latest around the Elian Gonzalez matter: It is now apparently a matter of when rather than if Juan Miguel Gonzalez will arrive here in the U.S. for a reunion with his son. The U.S. State Department has issued a visa and Cuban diplomats are finalizing arrangements today. Plans now call for Elian's father to arrive in Washington and stay with Cuba's top diplomat living outside of D.C. It is not clear whether the reunion would take place in the nation's capital or in Miami, Florida.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Juan Miguel Gonzalez will not be making this trip alone. Visas have been issued for his wife, their infant son and some key figures in Elian's life.

CNN's Bill Delaney is in the Cuban capital. He joins us now with the latest from Havana.

Bill, good morning.

BILL DELANEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, good morning.

As much optimism as there may be that the Juan Miguel Gonzalez contingent will get to the United States, I must tell you, here it still feels very much, for all the movement of the past few days -- the relative amount of movement here in the past few days, this feels very much like a situation in suspended animation.

As you said, those six visas have been issued, or rather we expect them to be officially handed over by the U.S. Interests Section just down the street from me here some time today, but the Cuban government and Juan Miguel Gonzalez have said all along, they don't travel unless there are 28 in the contingent. And it's simply not clear at this point whether this often described as nonnegotiable demand here will prevent Juan Miguel Gonzalez from leaving Cuba and going up to the United States. The next step in this, Daryn, is simply, at this point, not very clear -- Daryn.

KAGAN: So, Bill, they're saying all or nothing?

DELANEY: That's what's unclear here. Yes, Daryn, they've been saying all along all or nothing. At the same time, we have indications that talks are continuing. Talks are continuing just down the street from here at the U.S. Interests Section. They've said all along, yes, indeed, this is a nonnegotiable demand. There's a sense here that there might be some give on both sides, however, and we'll just have to see how that plays out. We don't know.

KAGAN: Bill Delaney with the latest from Havana.

Thank you very much, Bill -- Bill Hemmer.

HEMMER: Whatever agreements have been made between attorneys, and politicians, for that matter, there seem to be very few concessions imminent on the streets of Miami. Last night, hundreds of Cuban-American protesters gathered outside the home where Elian Gonzalez has been staying with his great-uncle. They practiced forming a human chain and said they will stop at nothing to block the boy's return to Cuba.

CNN's Susan Candiotti up this morning with us to give us the latest thus far today.

Susan, hello.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill.

At this hour, negotiations are scheduled to begin. In fact, the attorneys arrived just a little while ago. They are now entering their fourth day. The question is: Could this be the final one? Going into today's meeting, both sides are well aware of those visas having been approved by the U.S. State Department -- visas for the boy's father's immediate family, a doctor and a young cousin to travel to the United States.

Now, the Florida relatives have not yet agreed to a transfer of care to the father if and when he arrived in the U.S. They're demanding that a trio of psychologists examine the boy to decide whether the child could be reunited with the father, and they want the father to come to their home here in Miami to visit his 6-year-old.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARISLEYSIS GONZALEZ, COUSIN OF ELIAN GONZALEZ: Last time they said he was coming Sunday, and I told Elian his father was coming Sunday, and that was the worst weekend he has had. All he has done is cry and tell me, promise me you're not taking me. Promise me you're not going to let him take me. Nobody sees that because they don't live under my roof. And Immigration hasn't had the opportunity to even see psychologically how this kid feels. All they want to do is solve the problem and get it over with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: After completing a number of interviews this morning, the boy's cousin said she wasn't feeling well. She is being evaluated at a hospital.

Now, government sources tell me that, during talks this day, that it will be offering its own proposal for an independent panel of psychologists to decide how the boy can be transferred to his father with the least amount of trauma. This panel, which would offer advice, would -- said to be able to complete its work within days as opposed to weeks.

And, finally, if the youngster's Florida relatives did not voluntarily agree to surrender the boy to his father when and if he arrives in the U.S., the federal government, the Justice Department could seek a court order to force the family to comply.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, reporting live in Miami.

HEMMER: Susan, thank you.

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