Justin Trudeau warmly recalled in his statement his late father’s friendship with Castro. Moreover, Justin personally met with Comandante and his three sons and brother – Raul, when Candian PM paid a visit to the Island of Freedom in November 2016.
“While a controversial figure, both Mr Castro’s supporters and detractors recognized his tremendous dedication and love for the Cuban people who had a deep and lasting affection for ‘el Comandante’,”
Trudeau said in the statement.
It was pure true and sincere Castro’s merit recognition, he was ‘larger than life’ and ‘a legendary revolutionary and orator’. “I know my father was very proud to call him a friend and I had the opportunity to meet Fidel when my father passed away,” Trudeau added.
Fidel Castro was an honorary pall bearer at the 2000 funeral of Trudeau’s father, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau. In 1976, the senior Trudeau became the first NATO leader to visit Cuba under Castro’s rule, at one point exhorting “Viva Castro!”.
Margaret Trudeau, mother of Justin, smiles as Fidel Castro holds her youngest son Michel after the Trudeaus arrived in Havana, Cuba in 1976. Photograph: Fred Chartrand/AP
Trudeau’s controversial statement was met with derision by some Americans, especially of Cuban descent. The US Senator Marco Rubio of Florida wrote on his Twitter.
“Is this a real statement or parody? Because if this is a real statement from the PM of Canada it is shameful and embarrassing.”
The statement spawned the Twitter hashtag #TrudeauEulogies, which quickly began trending as people emulated Trudeau’s upbeat tone and lack of criticism.
