Canada presses Cuba on cases of detained Canadians

[Jimmy2]

OTTAWA (AFP) – Canada has called in Cuba's envoy to voice concern at the detention of seven Canadians in the Caribbean nation, warning Havana it could lose tourists its economy needs, the foreign affairs ministry said.

Peter Kent, Canada's top diplomat for the Americas, said Ottawa called in Havana's representative in Ottawa to a meeting Tuesday on Canadians now detained in Cuba, including Cody LeCompte, a 19-year-old Canadian man who has been unable to leave after a car accident in April.

Seven Canadians at the moment are either detained or unable to depart from Cuba, a diplomatic source said.

"While aware that Cuban law allows for a lengthy period of investigation, Canadian officials expressed their concern that the investigation into this matter is taking so long," Kent said.

"Canadians have long appreciated Cuba as a tourist destination. The delays faced by Canadians awaiting resolution of such cases could affect the choice by fellow Canadians of Cuba as a tourist destination in the future," he also warned.

Canada is the chief source of tourists in Cuba, ahead of Italy and France. Tourism is Cuba's top hard-currency earner.