As Chris Hughes lay in the dark two-by-two-metre cell, with no electricity, a small hole in the wall for a window and just a hole in the ground for a toilet, he wondered if his wife Grace and three young children knew he was still alive.

“Nobody knew I was there,” he said. “I had disappeared. I thought, my family must think I’m dead.”

On Sept. 30, a few days before the Canadian man found himself in a Cuban detention centre, Hughes had flown a drone above the Plaza de la Revolucion in Havana.

A photographer with a media business in Toronto, Hughes said he had been travelling through the Americas, previously going to Panama and Colombia. He had brought a drone with him, which he used to shoot photos and videos. He said he did not have any issues using it the drone in other countries, and no problems bringing it in through Cuban customs on Sept. 28.

But two days later, the drone proved to be a significant problem.

Hughes said he and a Cuban friend and tour guide were questioned by police about the drone at the Plaza de la Revolucion, a historic square home to the Cuban administration. The pair was taken to a police station, where Hughes said they were interrogated for around 12 hours. He said he was brought to his rental apartment to pick up his clothes, and then brought to a detention centre, where he would remain for nearly two weeks — but never charged.

Global Affairs confirmed that consular officials at Canada’s embassy in Havana provided services to a detained Canadian citizen. “To protect the privacy of the individual concerned, further details on this case cannot be released,” Global Affairs spokesperson Austin Jean said in an email.

The Star reached out to the Policia Nacional Revolucionaria office near the plaza, but was referred to a Havana-based immigration office. A receptionist at that number told the Star police was “not to give any information by phone.” Another official advised the Star to submit requests through the Canadian Embassy in Cuba.

Hughes said he was held at what appeared to be an immigration detention centre and was again interviewed by Cuban authorities. Based on the questions, he believes Cuban authorities thought he was a spy.

After Hughes’ wife hadn’t heard from him in three days, she decided to alert the Canadian embassy. She said they were able to locate him after making contact with the family of his Cuban companion.

She then paid for Orlando Ismael — a friend and project manager of Hughes’ business — to fly from Canada to Cuba to try to find answers.

Ismael, who arrived in Havana on Oct. 6, said he went to the police station at the plaza and was told about a detention centre for foreigners. He said officials at the detention centre confirmed Hughes was there and that he was arrested for flying a drone in the square. Although he briefly saw Hughes, Ismael was not able to speak with him at length.

Hughes said that the fifth or sixth day of his detention — “I didn’t know exactly how long I’d been there” — he was able to meet with a woman from the Canadian embassy.

But it wasn’t all good news; he said she told him the government had to let the investigation play out. “The investigator had told me that if I’m found guilty on any level, or if they find out I’m working with the American government, that I’ll spend the rest of my life in jail,” Hughes said.

Then, on Oct. 11, Hughes said he was brought into a room, asked to review the contents of his bag and informed that the following morning he would be taking an 8 a.m. flight back to Toronto. The next day, he was at Pearson International Airport, being embraced by two of his children and his wife.

“This whole thing felt like something out of a movie,” his wife said.

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Although it was harrowing, Hughes said he understands why he was detained, and doesn’t begrudge Cuban authorities. He plans to return one day — he said authorities told him he is welcome to come back.

“If you’re under your mother’s roof, you play by your mother’s rules,” he said. “My issue with the whole thing is that I had no clue whether I was going to be there for 13 days or 13 years. I just didn’t know what was going to happen.”