Washington - A US federal court has rejected efforts by relatives in Miami to keep a six-year-old Cuban boy, Elian Gonzalez, in the US rather than return him to his father in Cuba, writes Joe Carroll from Washington.
The fate of the boy has aroused passions in Cuba and among Cuban exiles in Florida since he was rescued on November 25th after the boat carrying his mother and 13 others fleeing Cuba sank. Elian was one of three survivors.
A grand-uncle, Lazaro Gonzalez, in Miami, claimed the boy and opposed a ruling by the Immigration and Nationalisat ion Service that he should be returned to his father, from whom the mother had been separated. The grand-uncle appealed to a federal court to allow the boy to stay until a ruling was made on whether he could seek political asylum.
Judge Michael Moore dismissed this claim, ruling that asylum petitions could only be handled by the Attorney General, Ms Janet Reno, who, along with President Clinton, has said Elian should be reunited with his father. The grand-uncle may appeal this decision to a higher court and even to the Supreme Court, thus holding up any return of the boy for months.