Cuba Reports 32 Killed in U.S. Raid on Venezuela as Maduro Seized

On Sunday, the Cuban government announced that 32 of its citizens were killed during a U.S. military operation in Venezuela aimed at extracting President Nicolas Maduro for prosecution in the United States.

Havana declared two days of mourning for January 5 and 6 to honor the victims, stating funeral arrangements would be made public shortly. The statement provided limited details but confirmed all deceased individuals were members of Cuba’s armed forces and intelligence agencies.

“True to their responsibilities concerning security and defense, our compatriots fulfilled their duty with dignity and heroism and fell, after fierce resistance, in direct combat against the attackers or as a result of bombings on facilities,” the statement read.

Cuba has provided security for Maduro since he assumed power. It remains unclear how many Cubans were guarding the Venezuelan president at the time of death and how many may have perished elsewhere.

Maduro, 63, and his wife Cilia Flores were seized by U.S. forces in Caracas on Saturday and flown to the United States, where he is being held in a New York detention center awaiting a Monday court appearance on drug charges. Maduro was indicted in 2020 on U.S. charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy and has consistently denied any criminal involvement.