Renting a car in Cuba? Think twice!

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I've driven thousands of miles around Cuba without mishap. I've been lucky. Not once have I had a fender bender, or worse.

But every mile is nerve-wracking. Not so much for the cattle wandering down the autopista (freeway). Nor the horse-and-carts trundling down the fast lane. Against traffic!

It's the fact that if I get in a car accident — even one in which I'm not at fault — I know that I'm staring at a long time in jail, or at least an involuntary prolonged stay in Cuba.

The case of Cody LeCompte is a good case in point.

Last April, the 19-year-old Canadian was driving a rental car (apparently the rental agency made an exception to its rule that renters have to be 21) in Santa Lucía, in Camagüey province, when the Hyundai Accent was struck by a garbage-disposal struck. Cody, his mother, uncle and a female Cuban friend ended up in the hospital.

Bad enough. But Cuban law dictates foreigners involved in car accidents remain in the country until the matter is dealt with in court. That day could be a long time coming as Cuba’s wheels of, er, justice grind along like the gearbox of an old Russian tractor. (Unfortunately, the Cuban legal system is exactly the opposite to that of democratic nations, where you're innocent until proven guilty.)

In a worse case scenario, Cody could have been found guilty in a Cuban traffic court. That's not a pretty thought. Injure or kill someone in a car accident, and you're staring at three year in the pokey. Believe me, you don't want to see the inside of a Cuban prison.

For Cody, it meant months as a forced guest at a Santa Lucía hotel (I can think of better places). He was never charged, of course. The truck hit him, not visa versa. Still, the days went by and the bill got bigger (yes, YOU have to pay). His family eventually had to come up with $30,000 before Cody could eventually leave. (Do I hear accusations that the Cuban government knows a lucrative thing when it sees one?)

Meanwhile, reports suggest that the Canadian embassy was slow to come to aid.

Cody's case is not unusual. Canada reports that numerous Canadians have been held in Cuba on similar charges.

Canada's Foreign Affairs warns that "traffic accidents are a frequent cause of arrest and detention” for Canadians in Cuba, where foreigners can be held for up to 18 months without being charged. “Accidents resulting in death or injury are treated as crimes, and the onus is on the driver to prove innocence.”

Insurance policies won't offer much protection in such cases. Not least, if the renter is in any way at fault in an accident, rental agencies will nullify coverage and seek damages to cover the cost of repairs. (Which reminds me that I need to blog about Cuba's abusive rental agency policies.)

Understandably, a boycott of Cuba has been launched in Canada. Eventually the Canadian government put pressure on the Cubans. Fortunately Cody was released and returned home on August 6.

Those who do visit Cuba might want to think twice about renting a vehicle.

Meanwhile, I have no choice.

For further information about travel in Cuba, buy Moon Cuba

For further information on Havana, buy Moon Spotlight Havana.

Buy a softback copy of Mi Moto Fidel: Motorcycling Through Castro's Cuba, or order an autographed hardback direct from the author.

Disclosure: I occasionally accept free or discounted travel when it coincides with my editorial goals. However, my opinion is never for sale. The opinions you see in Cuba & Costa Rica Journal are my unbiased reflection of the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Copyright © Christopher P. Baker