By CIC International Affairs.
VENEZUELA DEFENSE MINISTER CONFIRMS A DOZEN OF MADUROS COMMANDOS KILLED CUBANS AMONG THEM DURING US RAID ON CARACAS.
A large portion of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s security detail was killed during a U.S. raid that led to his capture on Saturday, Venezuelan Defense Minister Gen. Vladimir Padrino said in a televised address on Sunday.
Padrino did not provide an exact number of casualties but confirmed that the armed forces had been activated nationwide “to guarantee sovereignty.” He also endorsed Vice President Delcy Rodríguez’s assumption of the role of interim president.
Also, Cuba said on Monday that 32 of its citizens were killed during the U.S. operation. In a statement posted on Facebook, Cuba’s presidential office said those killed were members of the Cuban Armed Forces and Interior Ministry who had been deployed in Venezuela on official missions.
“Faithful to their responsibilities with security and defense, our compatriots fulfilled their duty with dignity and heroism and fell, after ferocious resistance, in direct combat against the attackers or as a result of the bombing of facilities,” the statement said.
Havana condemned the U.S. action as a “criminal act of aggression and state terrorism” and said the government would pay tribute to the dead.
The raid on Saturday saw U.S. forces arrest and extract Maduro to New York. Venezuelan officials said a significant number of his security personnel were killed during the operation.
The U.S. action followed weeks of increased military deployments in the region and repeated threats by President Donald Trump against Maduro.
Speaking after the raid, Trump said the United States would “run” Venezuela “until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would use leverage gained from its oil blockade and regional military buildup to achieve its policy objectives.
“We want Venezuela to move in a certain direction,” Rubio said.
In a separate statement, Rubio described U.S. restrictions on Venezuelan oil exports as a “quarantine.”
“That means their economy will not be able to move forward until conditions that are in the national interest of the United States and the interests of the Venezuelan people are met,” he said.
In recent months, the U.S. has seized oil tankers linked to Venezuela and deployed warships and aircraft to the Caribbean.
CIC PRESS TEAM