PM will not attend funeral for Fidel Castro
Posted November 28, 2016 2:06 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA (NEWS 1130) – Following days of criticism over what some are calling a glowing obituary, the Prime Minister’s Office says Justin Trudeau will not be attending the funeral of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
Castro’s ashes will be laid to rest on Sunday.
It’s not clear at this point if we will have a representative at the funeral, but Governor General David Johnston is flying to Havana to take part in a commemoration ceremony tomorrow.
NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair says Canada needs to have a strong presence in Cuba.
“It’s important for us, especially with the arrival of the Trump Regime in Washington, that we continue to play a high-profile, positive role in the region,” says Mulcair.
The Conservatives have been criticizing Trudeau for a statement he released on the weekend in which he called Castro a remarkable leader, and glossing over the Cuban leader’s terrible human rights record.
“You know, he executed over 3,600 people just by firing squad alone,” says Conservative MP James Bezan.
“Tens of thousands of people disappeared or were murdered because they wouldn’t become a part of his communist regime.”
The Prime Minister’s father was a friend of Castro, and Castro even attended Pierre Trudeau’s funeral 16 years ago.
