OTTAWA—Justin Trudeau’s praise of Fidel Castro after the Cuban leader’s death left bureaucrats scrambling to counter the criticism sparked by the prime minister’s comments, documents show.

The foreign affairs department, the privy council office and the prime minister’s office were all involved in drafting public statements to dampen the reaction stirred by Trudeau’s warm tribute of the polarizing world figure—and the critique he had turned a blind eye to Castro’s human rights record.

In a telling sign, several of Canada’s diplomatic missions were discouraged from reposting Trudeau’s statement on social media, according to the documents obtained under Access to Information.

The controversy broke last November when Castro died, ending his decades-long reign ruling of Cuba with an iron grip. In his Nov. 26 statement, Trudeau expressed “deep sorrow” at Castro’s passing, who he called a “larger than life leader.”

“A legendary revolutionary and orator, Mr. Castro made significant improvements to the education and healthcare of his island nation,” Trudeau said in his statement

“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’,” the prime minister said.

But the prime minister’s statement was silent on the many human rights violations of the Castro regime, saying only that he was a “controversial figure.”

Trudeau’s statement, issued in English, French and Spanish quickly sparked anger and ridicule.

“Is this a real statement or a parody? Because if this is a real statement from the PM of Canada it is shameful & embarrassing,” U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio said on Twitter.

Other critics on social media mocked how Trudeau may have eulogized other notorious world figures, from Genghis Khan to Osama bin Laden.

Behind the scenes, bureaucrats worked to counter the fall-out of Trudeau’s statement as Canadian diplomats pressed foreign affairs for direction in how to respond.

“U.S. missions are looking for media lines on Fidel Castro,” said one Nov. 28 email as the controversy hit.

Officials in foreign affairs and communications staff in the prime minister’s office worked on “lines” that were given to the Canadian embassy in Washington. Those were “for use by the ambassador in responding to criticisms of PM Trudeau’s press release,” according to an email from a foreign affairs official dated Nov. 28.

The speaking note said that Castro was “loved and hated.”

“The PM acknowledged Castro was a controversial figure; he offered an obituary to recognize the passing of a former head of state, a state with which Canada has a deep and long lasting relationship,” the note said.

“But make no mistake, the PM has never shied away from raising the issue of human rights in Cuba and abroad,” it said.

Yet that statement, provided for David MacNaughton, Canada’s ambassador in Washington, went further than Trudeau did himself, citing what it called Castro’s “irredeemable failings in human rights.”

Similar responses were prepared and distributed to Canada’s other diplomatic missions in the United States to help staff field media inquiries about the tone of Trudeau’s statement.

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Topping the list of anticipated questions was, “why did the PM statement not address any of the controversial aspects of Fidel Castro’s leadership?”

In response, Canadian officials were advised to note that Trudeau had “recognized that Fidel Castro was an influential and controversial figure.”

And those notes highlighted the steps that Canada is taking to promote human rights in Cuba, saying that the issue is regularly raised at “high-level” bilateral consultations.

Acknowledging the controversy stirred by Trudeau’s statement, some Canadian missions asked whether there were instructions about sharing the statement “as we would normally do with all other statements.”

“Regarding the PM’s press release, we are consulting . . . but I would recommend not re-posting it at the moment,” a foreign affairs official responded.

Marianick Tremblay, Canada’s ambassador to Ecuador, asked for direction on how diplomats should sign books of condolences set up in Cuban embassies.

“Considering Castro’s high profile and the context, it would also be useful if you could provide us with a short approved short text . . . signing to take place this week. We could avoid more controversy by writing all the same approved text,” Tremblay wrote.

An unidentified journalist from the Washington Post even questioned Trudeau’s claims that Castro had made “significant improvements” to Cuba’s education and health systems.

“I check the accuracy of statements made by politicians. What is the basis for this claim,” the journalist wrote the foreign affairs department in an email.

“In other words, what data can you point to that shows ‘significant improvements’ in education and healthcare in Cuba now versus pre-revolutionary Cuba. The data I can find is that while the country was once in the top ranks of Latin America, it has fallen steadily behind,” the email stated.

That set off a scramble as officials reached out to officials at the Canadian embassy in Havana for help with a response.

That response, if there was one, was not included in the package of documents provided to the Star.

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