Cuban government apologizes after wrong body sent to grieving Montreal-area family [Video]

Cuba’s foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.

Faraj Jarjour, 68, died on March 22 in Varadero, Cuba during a family vacation.

The family paid $10,000 to have his body returned to Laval, Que. with them. But when they went to identify the father of two, a Russian man about 20 years younger was in the casket.

“I talked by phone with [Minister Mélanie Joly] about unfortunate incident related to the transfer of corpse of Canadian citizen who died in Cuba,” wrote Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez on X. “Cuban authorities investigate to clarify incident. I conveyed heartfelt condolences & apologies to relatives and friends of the deceased.”