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BBC MUNDO RADIO
Brazil – US relations
Legal guardianship of a child brings about controversy
A Brazilian family said they will return a 9-year-old boy at the centre of a cross-border custody battle to his US father, ending a legal saga that strained ties between the countries. The legal battle over Sean Goldman reached a crescendo with Washington to hold up the approval of billions of dollars of trade benefits.
Brazil's top judge ruled late on Tuesday that David Goldman should be reunited with his son, backing a decision made last week by a federal court.
American Sean Goldman was living with his maternal grandparents in Río de Janeiro after his mother passed away. His father started judicial action against the child's grandparents so as to be able to take him to the United States. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and US Head of State Barack Obama established a strong dialogue regarding this issue.
Grandmother Silvana Bianchi denounced that pressure had been exerted on the issue. A Brazilian Court authorized Sean to travel to the US. "Due to international pressure, I feel threatened to lose my grandchild," stated Bianchi in a letter addressed to Lula. She added that she considers this "international pressure is not taking into account the feelings of a nine-year-old", who, as she says, "wishes to stay with his grandparents" for they are the ones "comforting him after his mother's death."
David Goldman, Sean's father, started judicial action against the Bianchi couple for the legal guardianship of the child after his former wife Bruna Bianchi died in 2008. Two weeks ago, Brazilian Federal Justice ruled in favor of Goldman, but a court judge then approved an injunction presented by the child's grandparents' attorney. Court Chief Gilmar Méndes revoked the ruling and authorized Goldman and his son to travel to the US.
Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have also analyzed this situation.
Goldman, who was accompanied by a Brazilian representative during his trip to the US, accused the child's maternal grandparents to "have kidnapped" his son.
