Grannies hope to meet Cuban boy

Miami - The grandmothers of Cuban boy Elian Gonzalez (6) are to fly to Miami and hope to meet their grandson, a church group …

Miami - The grandmothers of Cuban boy Elian Gonzalez (6) are to fly to Miami and hope to meet their grandson, a church group leader said.

The women planned to leave from New York last night, but details of the meeting were not yet set, said the Rev Bob Edgar, general secretary of the National Council of Churches, which is sponsoring their visit.

The boy's maternal grandmother, Mrs Raquel Rodriguez, and paternal grandmother, Mrs Mariela Quintana, have asked the US Attorney General, Ms Janet Reno, to arrange a meeting. They said they were waiting for her answer.

The boy was rescued from an inner tube in November after the boat in which he had left Cuba capsized. His mother, her boyfriend and nine others perished. Since then the boy has been at the centre of a political storm.