Over the years, a popular internet theory has claimed that Fidel Castro, the former Cuban leader, was the biological father of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The rumor has been fueled by online comparisons of physical resemblance, overlapping travel timelines, and photographs of the Trudeau family’s later visits to Cuba. However, all verifiable historical records and timelines make the claim impossible. Justin Trudeau was born on December 25, 1971, in Ottawa, Canada. According to multiple biographical sources and public archives, Pierre and Margaret Trudeau were in Canada at the time of his conception in March 1971, and Margaret did not meet Fidel Castro until 1976, when the Trudeaus made an official diplomatic visit to Cuba.
The idea that Margaret Trudeau had met Castro in early 1971 is not supported by any travel or government record. Moreover, no credible journalists, historians, or official Cuban or Canadian sources have ever found evidence of a personal relationship between Margaret Trudeau and Fidel Castro prior to that 1976 trip. While Justin Trudeau and Fidel Castro did share a friendly diplomatic relationship, it was one between two world leaders connected through Canada–Cuba relations, not family ties. When Castro died in 2016, Trudeau’s official statement expressing condolences was consistent with Canada’s long history of engagement with Cuba — but it also reignited speculation on social media, where memes and fabricated timelines spread widely.
