COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, WORLD NEWS: Juan Miguel Gonzalez is asking a federal appeals court in the United States to make him the only person authorized to speak for his son Elian. Meanwhile, the boy's former kindergarten teacher and one of his cousins are in Washington to visit with him. As CNN's Havana bureau chief Lucia Newman reports, the two visitors are part of a larger group that is expected to travel to Washington to see the 6-year-old boy.</s>LUCIA NEWMAN, CNN HAVANA BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): President Fidel Castro says he's disappointed that Washington has not granted visas to 12 of Elian Gonzalez's classmates and the team of doctors and teachers that had been requested by Havana. But responding to the State Department's decision to, at least at this point, grant visas to only four of the children and a parent each, the Cuban leader sounded resigned, saying it's better to have four children join Elian than none at all. "The essential thing is for other children to go. Otherwise, time will be lost in his recuperation," said the Cuban leader. Castro referred to Elian's 10-year-old cousin and kindergarten teacher, who Wednesday flew to Washington via Mexico to join the boy. The Cuban president said he understood they'd taken with them books and other educational materials to help Elian catch up with all the school work he's missed. Castro spoke very highly of the Gonzalez family's current U.S. residence. "They have total security there. It's very difficult to harm them. There's no danger. The main thing is for the child to recover physically and mentally," said Castro. The Cuban president made his comments in front of the house that the Cuban government has designated for Elian and his family as a transitional residence when they presumably return to Cuba. Lucia Newman, CNN, Havana.
Elian Gonzalez To Receive Cuban Visitors