Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wonât be attending Fidel Castroâs funeral on Sunday, the Prime Ministerâs Office has confirmed.
Instead, Gov. Gen. David Johnston will travel to Havana on Tuesday for a ceremony commemorating the former Cuban president, who died on Friday at age 90.
Trudeau drew widespread criticism and social media mockery over the weekend for his glowing tribute to Castro. In a statement, Trudeau called Castro a âlegendary revolutionaryâ and a âremarkable leader.â
Trudeauâs critics, including several Conservative Party leadership hopefuls, called the prime ministerâs comments offensive.
In a series of tweets, Maxime Bernier said he couldnât believe that Trudeau expressed âdeep sorrowâ over Castroâs death. Bernier called Castro âa despicable dictator who killed and imprisoned thousands of innocents.â
Another Tory leadership candidate, Lisa Raitt, said Trudeau âplaced himself on the wrong side of historyâ by praising Castro and called on him to retract his statement and apologize.
On Monday in the House of Commons, Conservative foreign affairs critic Peter Kent demanded to know whether Trudeau would revise the âill-advised condolencesâ posted online.
âIn expressing his personal sorrow at the passing of Cubaâs communist dictator, he has nothing to say about the Cubans tortured and oppressed,â Kent said during daily question period.
âIs that because the prime minister never met the victims of Castroâs tyranny? Or is it because the PM was only wined and dined by Cubaâs communist one per cent?â Kent added.
Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion, echoing comments he made Sunday to CTVâs Question Period, said the prime minister will not âantagonize even more the past,â and that his government âencourage(s) the people of Cuba to unify all together and work hard together to give a better future for their children and more freedom and go step by step toward democracy.â
Dion added that âpeople-to-peopleâ links built between Canada and Cuba have been maintained ânot because we agreed with their regime but because we wanted to support the people of Cuba âŚâ
Kent continued to criticize the prime minister, adding that he ânot only expressed personal sorrow at Fidelâs passing, but described as a âreal honourâ his recent meeting with Fidelâs successor, the equally ruthless Raul.â
âWhy will this naive prime minister not address democracy, human rights and the rule of law?â Kent demanded.
Dion responded that âthe leaders of the world without exception, or maybe some exceptions, very few exceptionsâ had refrained from calling Castro a dictator in their statements. He quoted a statement from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, who said Castro will be remembered âfor advances in the fields of education, literacy and health.â
Trudeauâs statement was also condemned by some U.S. politicians, including senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz.
Under questioning from reporters during the summit of La Francophonie in Madagascar on Sunday, Trudeau said that Castro was a âpolarizing figureâ and acknowledged that there were âsignificant concerns around human rightsâ under his rule in Cuba.
When asked directly whether he thought Castro was a dictator, Trudeau replied, âYes.â
Cubaâs ambassador to Canada, Julio Garmendia Pena, told CTVâs Power Play Monday that Trudeauâs statement was âvery sincereâ and that âin Canada thereâs freedom of speech so I give honour to the possibility of the prime minister to say what he thinks about it.â
Pena defended Castro, saying he put an end to a âvery bloody dictatorshipâ and fought against racial inequalities, illiteracy and gaps in health care.
The ambassador said he doesnât know âabout the brutality that some press ⌠speaks aboutâ in relation to Castro, adding that âCuba has been very much mistreated by the big press.â
Pena said Cuba is not disappointed that Trudeau will not attend the funeral, noting that âworld leaders have their priorities and they have their agendas.â He added that Gov. Gen. David Johnston will lead âa high-level delegationâ to the funeral.
Human Rights Watch states that âshort-term arbitrary arrests of human rights defenders, independent journalists, and others have increased dramatically in recent yearsâ in Cuba and that the government also represses dissent among Cubans using âbeatings, public acts of shaming and the termination of employment.â
With files from The Canadian Press