Elian Gonzalez Case: Miami Relatives Due to Meet with Government-Assigned Psychiatrists
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: There have been months of legal, diplomatic and emotional maneuvering, now the reuniting of Elian Gonzalez with his father could take place this week. That is the time frame given by Attorney General Janet Reno. But the family is apparently, the Miami family is apparently ready to fight such a transfer. Meanwhile, before any physical handover can take place, some mental preparations are underway. Elian's Miami relatives are due to meet with the government today with government-assigned psychiatrists to help prepare for a smooth transfer of the boy.</s>BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: And with that as a backdrop, today's scheduled meeting is the latest government step to inching toward the eventual father-son reunion. And, like those before it, the path is paved with potential landmines and a number of legal hurdles. CNN's Pierre Thomas is at the Justice Department in Washington, and joins us with a closer look for more. Pierre, good morning to you.</s>PIERRE THOMAS, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill. Well, this is shaping up as a major week in the Elian Gonzalez controversy. As you stated a few moments ago, psychiatrists are expected to meet in Miami with the family to talk about the transition. We are also told that, as early as tomorrow or Wednesday, the Justice Department will send a letter the family notifying them of the time and place and date of the transfer. The question is, how is the Miami family going to respond to these requests by the Justice Department -- Bill.</s>HEMMER: Pierre Thomas, live in Washington. Pierre, thanks to you. Now to Daryn.</s>KAGAN: Attorneys for Elian's Miami relatives say they will fight any attempts to reunite the boy with his father, and that refusal to surrender is shared, very vocally, by South Florida's Cuban-American community. CNN's Susan Candiotti is outside the Miami home where Elian has been staying since coming ashore four months ago.</s>SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn. Very quiet so far this morning. And we will tell you about what the protesters have in mind for later this day. But first, in a letter that he received yesterday, Elian's great uncle, Lazaro Gonzalez, has been told to attend a meeting this afternoon with those three government psychiatrist. Now, the government has made it clear that Lazaro needs to discuss how the boy's transfer will take place, so that 6-year-old Elian can be prepared for what lies ahead. However, the child's Florida relatives continue to balk at the refusal of the government to allow Elian to attend that meeting. The family relatives, the relatives want the boy to be examined to prove the family's claims that he faces irreparable psychological harm if he is returned to Cuba. A question mark is whether the boy's cousin, Marisleysis, will be well enough to attend that meeting. She was said to be hospitalized over the weekend. She is the boy's cousin, and certainly has been very close to him. She wants to be a part of that meeting, but her father, Lazaro Gonzalez, says that if she is not there, he might even want to postpone the meeting. However, the government wants to move ahead with it, regardless of whether Marisleysis is able to attend leaving open the possibility of a future meeting, as long as this one takes place. Also the government has not eliminated the possibility that Elian can be examined by the psychologist. However, first, the government says, the family here would have to agree to a peaceful transfer, and that Elian's father would have to agree to such an examination. Finally, we can tell you that, over the weekend, there were indeed more demonstrations here by people who are against adamantly the very notion that Elian Gonzalez would be allowed to return to Cuba with his father. And in fact, to that end, they are planning a massive candlelight vigil this evening in the streets of Miami not far from this home. Police say they expect a peaceful demonstration and so do organizers, but it's quite clear that people here are not willing to give up their battle by any means -- Daryn.</s>KAGAN: Susan Candiotti, in the Little Havana section of Miami, thank you for that report. Search CNN.com CNNSI.com CNNmoney.com The Web