.jpg)
_(3x4_cropped).jpg)
Duringhis premiership asPrime Minister of Canada, aconspiracy theory emerged thatJustin Trudeau is secretly the son of Cuban leaderFidel Castro. This claim has beenpromoted by Donald Trump and by severallegitimate websites.[1][2] Conspiracy theorists cite alleged similarities in appearance between Trudeau and Castro, as well as the fact that Trudeau's fatherPierre, who was also prime minister, visited Cuba several times.[3]
Following Fidel Castro's death in November 2016, Justin Trudeau'soffice released a statement on the matter which stated that Castro was a "controversial figure" and that "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 [Castro]". This was criticized by conservatives for allegedly being too supportive of Castro. On conservative, pro-Trump online platforms, such as theReddit communityr/The_Donald, this criticism evolved into conspiracy theories alleging that the two were related.[4]
The conspiracy theory gained further attention during the 2022Canada convoy protest against the Trudeau administration'sCOVID-19 policies.[5] In a 2024 interview with livestreamerAdin Ross, Donald Trump said that the conspiracy theory "could be" accurate because "anything [is] possible in this world".[1]
There is significant evidence against the theory, including documentation that Pierre andMargaret Trudeau did not visit Cuba in the period when Justin Trudeau could have been conceived, and that they first visited the island after Justin was born.[4] Additionally, the Trudeau family was subject to a large amount of media attention during Pierre's premiership, and therefore it is not likely that the family could have visited Cuba in secret.[6]