Cuba says 32 of its citizens were killed in U.S. raid that captured Venezuela’s Maduro
The Cuban government has announced today, Monday that 32 of its citizens were killed in combat during a U.S. military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture and removal of President Nicolás Maduro to New York, where he is facing federal charges.
In an official statement, Cuban authorities said the deceased were members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior, deployed to Venezuela at the request of Caracas.
The government described the deaths as occurring “after fierce resistance, in direct combat against the attackers or as a result of bombings on the facilities.”
Cuba declared two days of national mourning beginning Monday and said funeral arrangements would be announced.
President Miguel Díaz‑Canel condemned the U.S. action as an act of aggression and state terrorism, praising the fallen as having fulfilled their duty with “dignity and heroism.”
Cuba’s announcement marked a rare public acknowledgment of its military and intelligence personnel operating in Venezuela, where Havana has long maintained close political and security ties.
The operation, described by Washington as an anti‑narcotics and law‑enforcement action, saw Maduro and his wife taken into U.S. custody to face charges including narco‑terrorism conspiracy, which he has denied and pleaded not guilty in New York court.
The deaths of Cuban operatives are likely to deepen regional tensions, with critics calling the U.S. intervention a violation of Venezuelan sovereignty and raising questions about the wider geopolitical fallout across Latin America.