Prime Minister Trudeau arrives in Cuba today for the first official visit by a Canadian prime minister in almost two decades.
It is the first stop in Trudeau’s week-long trip aimed at boosting Canadian trade, investment and engagement in the region.
But one of the main purposes of the prime minister’s visit has been thrown into doubt by the surprise election of Donald Trump as president of the United States.
Canada along with the Vatican had played a pivotal role in the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Havana and Washington, the communist island’s archnemesis for the last 60 years.
In June 2013, the Canadian government hosted the first of seven secret meetings between Cuban officials and a White House delegation led by President Barack Obama’s deputy national security adviser, Ben Rhodes.
However, the election of Donald Trump, who has lambasted Obama’s policy of détente with Cuba, cast a long shadow over future U.S.-Cuba relations and Canada’s role as an honest broker between the two.
Still Trudeau and his wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau are expected to get warm welcome in Havana.
Trudeau has a special relationship with Cuba.
Former leader Fidel Castro was an honorary pallbearer at the funeral of his father, Pierre Trudeau in 2000 because of a friendship that began when the elder Trudeau visited Cuba in 1976.
There is no scheduled meeting with Fidel Castro for Justin Trudeau, but Cuban officials say it could happen.
“I know it has been prepared,” Julio Garmendía Pena, Cuba’s ambassador in Ottawa, told CBC News. “There is an intention. [Fidel Castro] is not a young man. He has to be, let’s say, in shape that day, but I hope that will be the case and the meeting should take place.”
On Thursday, Trudeau moves on to Argentina where he’s scheduled to meet with President, Mauricio Macri. Trudeau will spend the weekend in the Peruvian capital of Lima at the APEC leaders’ summit, where he’s expected to speak.
With files from CBC News and The Canadian Press
For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.