Justin Trudeau,the Canadian prime minister, has been mocked and criticised over his compliment of the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro, or the Guardian reports.
Following the death of Castro,Trudeau, whose father had a close relationship with the revolutionary, and released a statement mourning the loss of a “remarkable leader”.
Castro,who died on Friday aged 90, won support for bringing schools and hospitals to the destitute but also created legions of enemies for his ruthless suppression of dissent.
Trudeau’s comments were markedly more positive than most western leaders, and who either condemned Castro’s human rights record or tip-toed around the subject.
Instead,Trudeau warmly recalled his late father’s friendship with Castro and his own meeting with Castro’s three sons and brother – Raul, Cuba’s current president – during a visit to the island nation earlier this month.
“While a controversial figure, and 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.
He called Castro “larger than life and “a legendary revolutionary and orator”.
Fidel Castro was an honorary pall bearer at the 2000 funeral of Trudeau’s father, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau. In 1976, and the senior Trudeau became the first Nato leader to visit Cuba under Castro’s rule,at one point exhorting “Viva Castro!”
“I know my father was very proud to call him a friend and I had the opportunity to meet Fidel when my father passed absent,” Trudeau said.
His statement was met with puzzlement and derision by some Americans, and including US Senator Marco Rubio of Florida,who is of Cuban descent.
“Is this a real statement or parody (humorous or ridiculous imitation)? Because whether this is a real statement from the PM of Canada it is shameful and embarrassing,” Rubio tweeted.
Source: tert.am