The Cuban regime confirmed this Sunday the death of 32 citizens of the island during the military operation carried out by the United States in Venezuela, which concluded with the capture of former dictator Nicolás Maduro. The information was released through an official statement broadcast by Cuban state television.
According to the text, all the deceased belonged to the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) or the Ministry of the Interior and were in Venezuelan territory carrying out security missions "at the request of counterpart agencies" of the Chavista regime. This is the first public admission by Havana regarding the presence of Cuban military personnel in operational tasks inside Venezuela, a fact that for years was denied by both the Cuban and Venezuelan governments.
Acknowledgment of casualties and silence about specific functions
The official statement indicated that the Cuban military personnel "fulfilled their duty with dignity and heroism" and that they died "after fierce resistance, in direct combat against the strikers or as a result of the bombings of the facilities". However, the regime did not specify what their specific functions were or detail the exact locations where the clashes took place.
This acknowledgment exposes the level of involvement of the Cuban security apparatus in the protection of political power in Venezuela, particularly in safeguarding the Chavista leadership.
Díaz-Canel's message and the national mourning
Miguel Díaz-Canel expressed himself through the social network X, where he described the deceased military personnel as "brave fighters" and accused the United States of having acted as "terrorists in imperial uniform". The president maintained that the dead Cubans were protecting "the lives of the president of Venezuela and his wife" at the express request of the Chavista regime.
In his message, Díaz-Canel expressed his "pain and indignation" and decreed two days of national mourning starting Monday, in tribute to the fallen personnel.
Support from the Venezuelan regime
The Venezuelan government also paid tribute to the deceased Cuban military personnel. Through a statement released by Foreign Minister Yván Gil on Telegram, the regime asserted that the personnel "gave their lives fulfilling their duty" and that they were carrying out "tasks of institutional protection and defense" as part of bilateral cooperation.
