The Cuban government on Sunday announced that 32 of its citizens were killed during the US military raid in Venezuela that led to the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro, deepening regional tensions following the high-profile operation.
In a brief statement, Havana said all those killed were members of Cuba’s armed forces and intelligence services. The government declared January 5 and 6 as national days of mourning, adding that details of funeral arrangements would be communicated later. Cuban authorities said the personnel died while carrying out security and defence duties, describing their actions as “dignified and heroic” amid intense combat and bombardment of facilities targeted during the raid.
Cuba has long provided security and intelligence support to Maduro’s government, though it remains unclear how many Cuban personnel were guarding the Venezuelan leader at the time of the operation and how many were killed elsewhere during the assault. The incident marks one of the deadliest reported losses for Cuba linked to its involvement in Venezuela.
Maduro, 63, and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized by US forces in Caracas on Saturday and flown to the United States. He is currently being held at a New York detention centre ahead of a court appearance on drug-related charges. The Venezuelan leader was indicted by US prosecutors in 2020 on charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, allegations he has consistently denied.
Melissa Enoch
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