St. Lucia prime minister dies
St. Lucia Prime Minister John Compton, 82, who became head of state for the Caribbean island nation for the third time last December, died Friday.
Compton, who was disabled by a series of strokes in April, had not resumed his duties, and died in a Castries hospital.
He was a farmer and an attorney before he was named chief minister in 1964, when St. Lucia was still a British colony. He pushed for autonomy, and was elected as the first prime minister when St. Lucia achieved independence in 1979.
He was voted out of office that same year, but returned to power in 1982 and stayed in office until 1996. Known as 'Daddy Compton,' he was elected for a third time in 2006.
Compton was a conservative who was friendly with the United States, saying his country needed the help of the U.S. first to deter communism and later to help fight drug trafficking.
