Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office announced Monday that he will not attend Fidel Castro's funeral after he received backlash for praising the former communist dictator as a "remarkable leader."
Castro, the former president of Cuba for five decades who died over the weekend, had a long history of political oppression and abusing human rights
"The state of freedom of expression in Cuba, where activists continue to face arrest and harassment for speaking out against the government, is Fidel Castro's darkest legacy," Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International, told CNN.
Amnesty International has documented hundreds of stories from "prisoners of conscience ... detained by the government solely for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression, association, and assembly," CNN noted.
Following the news of Castro's death on Friday night, Trudeau released a statement the next day lauding the Cuban leader for being a "larger than life leader."
"Fidel Castro was a larger than life leader who served his people for almost half a century. A legendary revolutionary and orator, Mr. Castro made significant improvements to the education and healthcare of his island nation," the statement said.
"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'" the statement continued.
Trudeau went on to say his father considered Castro to be a friend and that it was a real "honor" to meet Castro's three sons and his brother, President Raúl Castro, during a recent visit to Cuba.
At the end of his statement, Trudeau called Castro a "remarkable leader."
"On behalf of all Canadians, Sophie and I offer our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and many, many supporters of Mr. Castro. We join the people of Cuba today in mourning the loss of this remarkable leader."
Trudeau never mentioned Castro's human rights abuses, which continue today, or his role as a communist revolutionary who sided with the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
Two days after issuing the statement, Trudeau's office said he will not attend Castro's funeral.
Governor General David Johnston, Queen Elizabeth II's representative in Canada, will attend a commemoration for Castro on Tuesday at the request of Trudeau, Reuters reported.
Trudeau conceded to mounting anger over his praise for Castro by acknowledging on Sunday that the deceased dictator was an oppressive ruler, Reuters noted.
"He certainly was a polarizing figure and there certainly were significant concerns around human rights," Trudeau said.