The Government of Cuba has accused the United States of America of causing the deaths of thirty two Cuban nationals during a military operation in Caracas, the capital city of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, which resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro.
The Cuban government disclosed the deaths in an official statement broadcast on national television, describing the operation as a direct attack by the administration of United States President, Donald Trump, against Venezuela’s sovereignty and its allied forces.
Okay News reports that Cuban authorities stated that the victims were members of Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior who were deployed in Venezuela on official missions carried out in cooperation with Venezuelan security agencies.
“As a result of the criminal attack carried out by the government of the United States against Venezuela, thirty two Cubans lost their lives in combat operations,” the Cuban government said in the statement read to the nation.
According to officials in Havana, the deceased personnel were operating at the request of Venezuelan counterpart agencies and were engaged in security and defense-related duties at the time of the assault on Caracas.
The incident followed a dramatic United States military operation carried out on Saturday, during which President Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela’s long-serving leader, was extracted from Caracas alongside his wife, Cilia Flores. The couple was transported to the United States, where Maduro is expected to appear before a federal court in New York to face charges related to drug trafficking and terrorism.
Cuba’s statement emphasized that the fallen soldiers had “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 United States forces.
In response to the deaths, the Cuban government announced two days of national mourning beginning at dawn on Monday, with plans to organize official tributes and memorial ceremonies across the country.
Reacting publicly, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel paid tribute to the deceased on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, writing: “Honor and glory to the brave Cuban fighters who fell facing terrorists in imperial uniform.”
The developments have intensified diplomatic tensions across Latin America, as regional governments and international observers assess the broader implications of the United States operation for regional stability and international law.
