In “Bring Sean Home, Now a Matter of State,” I wrote on how the desperate fight by an American father, David Goldman, to bring his son home—an 8-year old boy who is being held in Brazil in violation of all international norms, and human decency—had reached the State Department level, with the involvement of Hillary Clinton.
I also mentioned that, “If it doesn’t get resolved soon, hopefully President Obama will use his power and influence when he talks to the Brazilian President who will be visiting Washington in about two weeks.”
But, is the president familiar with the case and, more importantly, will he bring it up at his meeting?
Obama has been briefed on the case, and “he understands it’s important,” says Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Thomas Shannon, according to APP.com. But, that it’s up to the president to decide whether to bring it up with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Well today, Saturday March 14, that face-to-face meeting between President Obama and the Brazilian President finally took place at the White House, while hundreds of Goldman supporters rallied in Washington and outside the White House in the drizzle.
According to NBC News, the two presidents discussed the economy, trade, energy and the environment.
According to initial AP reports, “Both leaders said the Oval Office sit-down was productive and they looked forward to seeing each other at the Group of 20 nations meeting in London on April 2, followed by the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad in mid-April.”
And, oh yeah, the AP reports that:
Obama also privately raised the custody case of David Goldman, a Tinton Falls, N.J., man who is trying to bring his 8-year-old son back from Brazil. The boy was taken there in 2004 by his mother, who died years later while giving birth. She had divorced Goldman and married a lawyer from Rio de Janeiro. Both children are being raised by the lawyer’s family.
The House has urged Brazil to “act with extreme urgency” to return the boy to Goldman. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said she has discussed the case with high-ranking Brazilian officials.
NBC News doesn’t have much more to report, except that, “another father is getting involved,” the father being President Obama who “raised the issue of Sean Goldman. Unclear what came out of it, but it is clear the case that pulled on heartstrings of the world is affecting US- Brazilian relations….”
Well, not much here. High level diplomacy and niceties probably call for such “tight-lippedness” and we’ll learn of more promisising words and hopefully of concrete steps and actions in the next few days.
Image: Courtesy BringSeanhome.org
