Trudeau defends condolence message despite backlash
ANTANANARIVO, MADAGASCAR— Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that former Cuban president Fidel Castro was a dictator, but that does not mean it was inappropriate to acknowledge his achievements at the time of his death.
“He certainly was a polarizing figure and there certainly were significant concerns around human rights,” Trudeau said Sunday in Antananarivo, Madagascar, where he was leading the Canadian delegation to the summit of la Francophonie.
“That’s something that I’m open about and highlighted, but on the passing of his death I expressed a statement that highlighted the deep connection between the people of Canada and the people of Cuba,” Trudeau said at a news conference.
When asked directly whether he thought Castro was a dictator, Trudeau said, “Yes.”
The Liberal prime minister is facing criticism at home and abroad for a statement he issued shortly after learning that Castro had died at the age of 90.
The statement expressed his “deep sorrow” about the death of Castro, without mentioning the humanrights violations of his regime beyond referring vaguely to him as a “a controversial figure.” Trudeau also called Castro a “legendary revolutionary and orator” who made significant improvements to the education and health-care systems of Cuba.
His father, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, was the first NATO leader to visit Cuba when he met the leader of Cuba’s Communist revolution — and longtime antagonist of the United States — in 1976, and Castro came to Montreal to attend his funeral nearly a quarter-century later.
Conservative interim leader Rona Ambrose and Tory leadership hopefuls Lisa Raitt, Maxime Bernier and Kellie Leitch were all quick to denounce Trudeau’s tribute on Saturday. And social media users also took the opportunity to mock the prime minister using the hashtag #TrudeauEulogies, which imagines eulogies of dictators and criminals written in the style of Trudeau’s statement.
Trudeau delivered a shorter version of his condolence message Saturday at the beginning of his keynote address at the opening ceremonies of la Francophonie — a speech, ironically, that called out other world leaders for human-rights abuses against girls, women and the LGBTQ community.