Cuba says 32 combatants killed during US military operation in Venezuela

Cuba has confirmed significant casualties from the recent U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, reporting that 32 of its combatants were killed during the operation. The announcement came as Havana declared January 5th and 6th as national days of mourning for the fallen personnel.

Official mourning and tribute

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel stated that the deceased, who served in official missions for the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior, performed their duties with honor and demonstrated "fierce resistance." The Cuban government described their deployment as part of a bilateral cooperation agreement with Venezuelan authorities. The administration in Caracas also paid tribute, honoring the Cubans who "gave their lives in the fulfillment of their duty."

Context of the raid and casualties

The casualties align with earlier remarks by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who noted that "a lot of Cubans were killed" while protecting Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro during the raid. The U.S. operation, which Trump labeled a "large scale strike," reportedly resulted in Maduro's capture. He and his wife, Cilia Flores, are now reportedly held in a federal detention center in New York, facing U.S. narcoterrorism charges, which they deny.

Escalation and a challenge to norms

The reported death of dozens of Cuban personnel marks a severe escalation and internationalizes the consequences of the unilateral U.S. action. For countries like Türkiye, which firmly uphold the principles of national sovereignty and non-intervention, this event represents a dangerous precedent where military force and extraterritorial law enforcement collide, resulting in significant loss of life and further destabilizing regional relations in the Western Hemisphere.