Most countries choose middle-ranking delegations for ceremony in Havana next week, with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Britain’s Theresa May opting out

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Vladimir Putin, Justin Trudeau and Theresa May are among the world leaders who have already decided not to attend the funeral of Fidel Castro, and it seems very likely that Barack Obama will also stay away despite his historic visit to Cuba earlier this year.

The seniority of politicians sent to attend a funeral is carefully calibrated in diplomatic circles, and most countries – apart from Latin American countries with leftwing governments – have chosen distinctly middle-ranking delegations for Castro’s ceremony.



Russia has announced that Vyacheslav Volodin, a close ally of Putin and chairman of the lower house of parliament, will head the Russian delegation for the 4 December funeral. The decision underlines the extent to which Moscow no longer regards Cuba as a client state, as it seeks to focus on extending its influence in the Middle East, Asia and central Europe.



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The Canadian prime minister’s office said on Monday that he will not attend the funeral even though Castro attended the funeral of his father, Pierre Trudeau.

Justin Trudeau was widely mocked and criticized for praising Castro, who he referred to as a “remarkable leader”. Governor General David Johnston – the queen’s representative in Canada, will attend the commemoration instead.



The US administration has given no indication so far how it will attend. The secretary of state, John Kerry, issued a relatively bland statement saying: “We extend our condolences to the Cuban people today as they mourn the passing of Fidel Castro. Over more than half a century, he played an outsized role in their lives, and he influenced the direction of regional, even global affairs.”



With few effective decisions left for Obama to take during the transition before the inauguration of Donald Trump, Republican leaders have warned Obama not to go to Havana.

Newt Gingrich, once seen as a potential candidate for secretary of state, warned Obama, Vice-President Joe Biden and Kerry to stay away, labelling the deceased Cuban leader a tyrant.

In a series of tweets on Saturday, he said: “Under no circumstance should President Obama or VP Biden or Sec state [sic] Kerry go to Cuba for Castro’s funeral. He was a tyrant”.

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US senator Ted Cruz – who is of Cuban descent – said: “I very much hope that we don’t see any US government officials going to Fidel Castro’s funeral. I hope we don’t see Barack Obama and Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton and Democrats lining up to lionize a murderous tyrant and thug.”

“If you wouldn’t go to Pol Pot’s funeral or Stalin’s funeral or Mao’s funeral because they were murderous communist dictators, then you shouldn’t be doing what Barack Obama and Justin Trudeau are doing, which is celebrating Fidel Castro: a murderous, communist dictator.”

Spain’s delegation will be led by former king Juan Carlos, and it is expected that the Sinn Féin leader, Gerry Adams, will fly to Havana to pay his respects.

The British government said it was unlikely that the foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, would attend, making Sir Alan Duncan – the deputy foreign office minister responsible for the Americas – the most likely candidate to represent the UK.

The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, will not attend the funeral, and will be represented by the shadow foreign secretary, Emily Thornberry.

Ireland’s president, Michael D Higgins, has also been criticised for signing the book of condolences in Dublin without mentioning human rights abuses. The president is not expected to attend the funeral.

Leftwing leaders from across Latin America will attend, including Ecuador’s Rafael Correa, Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, Bolivia’s Evo Morales and Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega.

Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto has also decided to travel to Cuba for the commemoration, as has the President of South Africa Jacob Zuma, who will probably view the visit as a welcome relief from efforts to oust him from office.

Argentina will be represented by its foreign minister, Susana Malcorra, rather than its conservative leader Mauricio Macri. In its message of condolence, Argentina thanked Castro for his support of its claim to the Falklands Islands.

India will send its home minister, Rajnath Singh, as the head of an all-party delegation a include leaders from various political parties such as Congress, CPI(M), CPI and the Samajwadi party.

Juanita Castro – Fidel’s sister, who has lived in exile in Miami for more than 50 years – will not attend, saying whatever her personal family sadness her belief in freedom was stronger