Cody LeCompte [pictured right], 19, of Ontario, Canada, has been detained in Cuba for more than 3 months after being involved in a traffic accident on the island.Three days into their vacation in early May, Cody and Danette [SFDB note: his mother] went for a day trip to a nearby village with her cousin and his Cuban fiancee.You might think that the passionate Cuban-American hardliners at babalu would consider Cody just another innocent victim of the tyrannical Castro regime. But instead babalu takes the position that 19-year-old Cody is getting what he deserves for visiting a communist country with his family and allows one commenter to insinuate that he was hiring hookers. From the comments...
As they passed through an intersection, a dump truck slammed into the passenger's side of the car. The car spun around and was struck again on the driver's side where Cody sat, Danette said.
Police did not show up at the crash site, but came to the hospital to question them.
Everyone in the car suffered internal bruising, but were eventually released from hospital. The cousin's fiancee was severely injured and needed an operation to remove part of her liver. She has since fully recovered.
The driver of the dump truck was not injured.
Danette was later told that drivers must be 21 to rent a car, but the rental agency allowed Cody to drive even though his licence showed him to be 19.
A few days later they tried to catch a flight home, but Cody was told that he could not leave the country.
I'll leave it up to readers to translate "Que se jodan."
While I believe that a good argument can certainly be made that travelers to a place like Cuba assume a certain degree of risk, the above kind of ideologically driven disregard for human decency and vulgar display of callousness is one that only a few in this world can applaud and appreciate.
-photo via IFP
.
12 comments:
"que se jodan" is equivalent to "f--k them."
this is really no different than someone traveling to a dangerous part of central america or the middle east. i think if that were the case the attitude would be more "how can we get them out of there" and less "eff them."
Been to Cuba lots and its no different than Mexico. One party rule and corrupt so fools get caught in crash & sue scams all over not unlike lots of US/Euro/Asian cities. Most Cubans good people but now "owned" by China-Russia-Spain-Italy and get ripped off. Feel safer in Havanna, Santa Clara than Miami...hear Club Gitmo is nice
The kid is staying at a "seaside resort" until this all gets sorted out.
I would be having a ball if I were him.
"Cody LeCompte, of Simcoe, Ont., has been living at a seaside resort waiting for a court to determine if he faces charges related to a car accident he was in while driving during a family vacation in early May."
Americans would be up in arms if this kid were an American citizen. I wonder what the Canadian press is making of this "hostage situation"?
People vacationed in Berchtesgaden and other parts of Austria and Germany governed by Nazi Germany in the late '30's and early 1940's with complete disregard to what was happening to the Jews, Catholics, disabled, gypsies, etc. Would you blame the children and grandchildren of those who perished in concentration camps for disrespecting or at the very least not caring about those tourists? Cuba is a cruel, totalitarian country that caters to those who want to have blinders on and enjoy the plunder.
Shouldn't you be reciting Marti somewhere, Manuel? Your fixation with me has not waned and you still haven't been able to escape The Great White North.
Some things never change.
"Paula Revere?" C'mon, my friend...you can do better than that.
.
Manny?? Is that you? Really?
Paula....you really think canadians who visit cuba should rot and die? how about cuban americans who visit? should we all give them the finger and hope they die when they land back in miami?
Come out, come out where ever you are, Manny. I see you checking back in every 5 minutes. You're busted, amigo.
What do you have to say for your pitiful self?
.
Sorry, not Manuel/Manny?
Pierre, I am not condoning any actions of that totalitarian nation. I am simply trying to explain the feelings behind the comments. Try to picture Cuba as Tibet and see if you would not ask yourself why are tourists visiting a cruel hell-hole such as that? That, and that alone was my point. Who is Manny?
paula...you didn't answer my question. i want to know if cuban-americans should also be hated by people when they go to cuba. doesn't their money also go to the regime. should they also rot?
Keep those hard liner guys in Florida. Better you than us! Marcel
Post a Comment
Spam, vulgar language, trolling and off-topic comments are not tolerated at SFDB and your comment will be removed if it meets this criteria.