Similar situation. 1 parent deceased....
Our govt honored the Hague and made arrangements to expedite Elain's return to his remaining biological parent.....
Simple really....
I wondered what you were trying to say because that case has been discussed on BSH from a number of angles over the past couple of months. As others mentioned, not only was Cuba not a Hague nation, the Hague, as I recall, wasn't even in existence when that event happened. Also, the longstanding terrible relations between the 2 countries and the conditions of squalor in Cuba were important elements to the controversy.
Another considerable difference between the two situations is that Elian wasn't in the US for a great amount of time before being returned. Anyway, other than being a boy close to Sean's age and a mother taking the boy away and subsequently dying, I couldn't follow which angle you were referring to by just saying "two words: Elian Gonzales".
I think it is worth adding, though, that while I've read how people think it would be too traumatic for the Brazilian gov't to go in like the US did to get the boy, and we who are old enough remember those photos of the frightened boy, I've read on here a few minutes ago that Elian now says his reunification was the happiest day of his life. Point being that Sean is more traumatized by the ongoing abduction than he would be by a few minutes of forcible removal. Also, JPLS wouldn't be keeping human blockades outside his toney condo like they had in Miami.
