Detained Canadian teen to return home from Cuba

A 19-year-old Canadian stuck in Cuba since April will soon be free to go, says his aunt. Cody LeCompte was detained in his hotel room awaiting trial after his rental car was smashed by a truck at an intersection April 29. Under Cuban law, the onus is on the driver to prove their innocence and it can take months to get a hearing. The teen was not allowed to leave the country, causing his single mother to spend tens of thousands of dollars on motel bills, legal bills and other expenses over the past three months. Peter Kent, junior foreign affairs minister, wrote to a Cuban official Wednesday informing them that the incident could dissuade Canadians from traveling to Cuba. Canadian tourism is a vital industry for the cash-starved socialist nation.

Hamilton Spectator