The Cuban government has confirmed that 32 of its nationals were killed during a United States military attack on Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, which ended with the capture of President Nicolas Maduro.
Havana made the disclosure on Sunday, January 4, describing the assault as a “criminal attack” carried out by the US government against Venezuela.
The announcement was contained in an official statement read on Cuban national television.
“As a result of the criminal attack carried out by the government of the United States against Venezuela, 32 Cubans lost their lives in combat operations,” the statement said.
According to Cuban authorities, the deceased were members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior, deployed in Venezuela on official assignments.
Officials explained that the personnel were conducting missions “at the request of counterpart agencies,” indicating formal cooperation between Cuban and Venezuelan security institutions.
The government did not disclose the exact nature of their deployment but stressed that they were acting in an official capacity at the time of the attack.
Naijaonpoint reports that the deaths followed a dramatic US military operation on Saturday, during which President Maduro was extracted from Caracas.
Maduro was reportedly captured alongside his wife, Cilia Flores, and transported to the United States, where he is expected to face charges of drug trafficking and terrorism at a New York court on Monday.
The operation marked a major escalation in tensions between Washington and its long-time adversaries in Havana and Caracas.
‘They Fell with Dignity and Heroism’
In a strongly worded statement, the Cuban government praised the fallen soldiers, describing their actions as heroic.
“They fulfilled their duty with dignity and heroism and fell, after fierce resistance, in direct combat against the attackers or as a result of the bombings carried out by the United States,” the statement read.
Cuban officials portrayed the casualties as victims of what they described as an unjustified foreign aggression.
In honour of the fallen personnel, Havana announced two days of national mourning, set to begin at dawn on Monday.
The government also pledged to organise official tributes and memorial activities to honour those killed.
Reacting to the development, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel issued a defiant message on social media.
“Honour and glory to the brave Cuban fighters who fell facing terrorists in imperial uniform,” Díaz-Canel wrote on 𝕏.