Trudeau defends comments after the death of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro
Posted Nov 27, 2016 8:08 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the 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.
Trudeau says it was a statement meant to mark the death of a former head of a country with which Canada has had a long relationship.
Speaking in Antananarivo, Madagascar, where he is attending the summit of la Francophonie, Trudeau says he understands that some people who had been affected by the Castro regime would view things differently.
He says he never shies away from raising human rights, and that included doing it during his visit to Cuba.
The Liberal prime minister is facing criticism at home and abroad for his statement expressing “deep sorrow” about the death Castro, without mentioning his human rights violations.
Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard says that while historians will debate his influence in his home country, including his record on human rights, there is no denying the Cuban leader was a giant of the 20th century.
