Canadian prime minister, whose father was close to the Cuban revolutionary, raised eyebrows with his eulogy to ‘legendary’ leader

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, has been mocked and criticised over his praise of the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

Following the death of Castro, Trudeau, whose father had a close relationship with the revolutionary, released a statement mourning the loss of a “remarkable leader”.

Guerrilla leader, dictator – and an unrepentant revolutionary Read more

Castro, who died on Friday aged 90, won support for bringing schools and hospitals to the poor but also created legions of enemies for his ruthless suppression of dissent.

Trudeau’s comments were markedly more positive than most western leaders, 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, 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, the senior Trudeau became the first Nato leader to visit Cuba under Castro’s rule, at one point exhorting “Viva Castro!”.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Margaret Trudeau smiles as Cuban President Fidel Castro holds her youngest son Michel after the Trudeaus arrived in Havana, Cuba in 1976. Photograph: Fred Chartrand/AP

“I know my father was very proud to call him a friend and I had the opportunity to meet Fidel when my father passed away,” Trudeau said. .

His statement was met with puzzlement and derision by some Americans, including US Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who is of Cuban descent.

“Is this a real statement or parody? Because if this is a real statement from the PM of Canada it is shameful and embarrassing,” Rubio tweeted.

The statement spawned the Twitter hashtag #TrudeauEulogies, which quickly began trending as people emulated Trudeau’s upbeat tone and lack of criticism.

“While controversial, Darth Vader achieved great heights in space construction and played a formative role in his son’s life,” tweeted @markusoff, riffing on the Star Wars movie villain.

Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) With his innovative urban renewal program, Pol Pot bravely confronted the pressing challenge of overpopulation. #trudeaueulogies

Reuters contributed to this story