ad info




CNN.com
 MAIN PAGE
 WORLD
 U.S.
 LOCAL
 POLITICS
 WEATHER
 BUSINESS
 SPORTS
 TECHNOLOGY
 SPACE
 HEALTH
 ENTERTAINMENT
 BOOKS
 TRAVEL
 FOOD
 ARTS & STYLE
 NATURE
 IN-DEPTH
 ANALYSIS
 myCNN

 Headline News brief
 news quiz
 daily almanac

  MULTIMEDIA:
 video
 video archive
 audio
 multimedia showcase
 more services

  E-MAIL:
Subscribe to one of our news e-mail lists.
Enter your address:
Or:
Get a free e-mail account

 DISCUSSION:
 message boards
 chat
 feedback

  CNN WEB SITES:
CNN Websites
 AsiaNow
 En Español
 Em Português
 Svenska
 Norge
 Danmark
 Italian

 FASTER ACCESS:
 europe
 japan

 TIME INC. SITES:
 CNN NETWORKS:
Networks image
 more networks
 transcripts

 SITE INFO:
 help
 contents
 search
 ad info
 jobs

 WEB SERVICES:

  Transcripts

Sunday Morning News

Grandparents of Elian Gonzalez to Return to Cuba Today

Aired January 30, 2000 - 9:09 a.m. ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The grandmothers of Elian Gonzalez are scheduled to return to Cuba today, but not with their grandson as they had hoped. It's been a long and difficult odyssey for the two women since they arrived in the U.S. about 10 days ago.

CNN's Martin Savidge is in Havana with more on the grandmothers' anticipated homecoming.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As they have almost daily since Elian Gonzalez floated into a sea of controversy, Cubans rallied for the 6-year-old's return. More than 100,000 people gathered in the central Cuban town of Sinfuegos (ph), the demonstration following on the heels of Cuban President Fidel Castro proclaiming such protests would continue for 10 years if need be.

FIDEL CASTRO, PRESIDENT OF CUBA (through translator): And this is not a battle waged for a boy, but rather it is a battle waged for the rights of all the children in the world, that they cannot be kidnapped and become hostages.

SAVIDGE: Like others before it, the government-organized and televised rally used the case of Elian Gonzalez as a rallying point for Cuban communist patriotism mixed with increasingly bitter attacks on President Castro's enemies. The voices are often children.

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: (SPEAKING IN SPANISH)

The Cuban government has announced another large rally for Sunday in Havana to welcome the return of Elian's grandmothers, home from the United States. In a journey that spanned over a week, Mariela Quintana and Raquel Rodriguez went to New York, Washington, and Miami. Reunited with their grandson Wednesday, the two women also met with U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, who supports the boy's return to his Cuban father.

In stark contrast to the rallies back home, the grandmothers used quiet diplomacy to lobby members of Congress not to support legislation that would seek to make the boy a U.S. citizen.

By week's end, even their critics in the United States admitted the petite grandmothers had managed to change votes and minds. RICARDO ALARCON, PRESIDENT, CUBAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY: I think that they succeeded in getting across their message to the American people.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAVIDGE: From the very beginning, the grandmothers have said their sole purpose of going to the United States was to retrieve young Elian and bring him back here to Cuba. In that regard, their mission is a failure. And as one Cuban put it, "No matter how big their rallies may be, they cannot fill the emptiness in their hearts."

Reporting live, Martin Savidge, CNN, Havana.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com

  ArrowCLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S TOPICS AND GUESTS
ArrowCLICK HERE FOR CNN PROGRAM SCHEDULES
SEARCH CNN.com
Enter keyword(s)   go    help

Back to the top   © 2001 Cable News Network. All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.