Prime Minister Trudeau came under fire in Canada and internationally over his statement of condolences on the death of Cuba’s former president Fidel Castro, in which he expressed “deep sorrow” and called him a “legendary revolutionary and orator” and “remarkable leader” who made “significant improvements to the education and healthcare of his island nation.”
President-elect Donald Trump issued a totally different statement:
“The world marks the passing of a brutal dictator who oppressed his own people for nearly six decades. Fidel Castro’s legacy is one of firing squads, theft, unimaginable suffering, poverty and the denial of fundamental human rights.”
Trudeau, who is in Madagascar attending la Francophonie summit of French-speaking nations, was askedby CBC News senior parliamentary reporter Catherine Cullen whether he believes Castro was a dictator, to which he replied “Yes”, but did not walk back his original statement and told Cullen that even though he is not minimizing the Cuban people’s “great deal of difficulty because of what happened in Cuba”, he was merely trying to highlight “deep connection between the people of Canada and the people of Cuba.”
On November 16, 2016, Trudeau delivered a speech and participated in a question-and-answer session at the University of Havana, in which he explained the basis of the strong historical relationship between Trudeau and Castro families and between the two countries:
“I have to acknowledge a very special guest and a good friend who’s here with us today President Raúl Castro…
“As many of you know the historical connection between the Trudeau and Castro families reaches back many decades.
“Canada was along with Mexico the only country in the Western Hemisphere to maintain diplomatic relations with Cuba following the revolution in the late 1950s. It’s that strong and enduring connection that set the stage for my father’s visit during his time as prime minister.
“He, my mother and my youngest brother Michel, came to Havana for an official State Visit in 1976. I was four years old at the time which meant that I was still too young to really know what I was missing out on, but I was old enough to be jealous my of brother got to go to the sunshine and I didn’t.
“I’ve had the chance since then to visit Cuba on my own a few times and I learned first hand why my parents always spoke so highly of this place and mostly of its people.
“And now as a prime minister I understand to an even greater degree why it’s critical that Canada and Cuba maintain their close relationship. First and foremost, open and respectful relationships serve our people…
“Strong relationships like the one between Canada and Cuba also remind us that friends speak openly and honestly with each other. I’m grateful that President Castro and I have developed the kind of relationship where we can discuss issues candidly and respectfully whether we’re talking about governance, human rights, climate change or gender equality.
“That’s how progress happens. And finally, close relationships with other countries and cultures also help expose us to different perspectives and ways of life, making all of our lives richer…
“I hope that in these short words I’ve been able to give you a better sense of why the Canada – Cuba relationship is so important to us, so important to me. It truly is a special friendship and I will everything I can to continue to move it forward…
“Canada has always been a steadfast and unflinching friend to Cuba . And we’ve never found any contradiction for us between being strong friends to Cuba and good friends and partners with the United States. Indeed, that’s one of the ways that we reassure ourselves that we and our countries, that we make our choices and that our values we are willing to stand for and project on the world stage and make our own decisions…
“We will continue to respectfully disagree with a number of our American friends on the way they engage with Cuba and encourage people to understand just the extraordinary people, the extraordinary country, the proud history and work with you to build a positive and shared future for Cubans and for the world…
“I will admit that it was important that my first official visit to anywhere in central and south America be right here to visit my friend Raul and the friends in Cuba…
“Cuba is in amazingly good hands now and in the coming decades…”
