The Cuban government held a national ceremony on Thursday to receive the remains of 32 soldiers who were killed during a recent US military operation in Venezuela. The fallen personnel, described as members of Cuba’s elite armed forces and intelligence services, were returned to Havana in flag-draped caskets during a somber event attended by the country’s top leadership, including President Miguel Díaz-Canel and former leader Raúl Castro.
The fatalities occurred during “Operation Absolute Resolve,” a large-scale raid launched by the United States on January 3, 2026, which resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. While the US administration maintains the mission was a counter-narcotics operation, the Cuban government has condemned the action as an act of international aggression.
Okay News reports that tensions between the US and Cuba have reached a critical point following the incident. President Donald Trump has recently warned Cuba that he intends to sever the flow of Venezuelan oil and financial support to the island, urging the Cuban government to negotiate terms or face further consequences. In response, President Díaz-Canel has vowed to defend the nation’s sovereignty, describing the US actions as imperialist overreach.
The remains were transported from Havana’s international airport to the Ministry of the Armed Forces in a motorcade that drew thousands of mourners to the streets. The Cuban government has declared several days of national mourning to honor those they describe as “heroes of solidarity” who were serving in Venezuela at the request of the Maduro administration.
As the geopolitical fallout continues, Cuba has scheduled mass protests in front of the US Embassy in Havana. Meanwhile, Nicolás Maduro remains in federal custody in New York, where he is awaiting trial on drug-trafficking charges. The ongoing diplomatic rift suggests a deepening crisis in the Caribbean as both nations remain entrenched in their respective positions.
