For four months little Elián González has been at the center of a bitter custody battle between the relatives he is living with in the U.S. and his father in Cuba. Last week a U.S. judge's decision made it more likely that Elián, who was found on Thanksgiving Day clinging to an inner tube off the coast of Florida, will be returned to his native Cuba.
Elián is a profile of "survival and courage," said Judge K. Michael Moore. He ruled that it is up to U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno to determine whether the 6-year-old should stay in the U.S.
Reno believes Elián should be returned to his homeland. "It is time for this little boy to move on with life at his father's side," she said.
Elián's U.S. relatives vow to continue the fight for Elián. They are appealing the judge's ruling.