Cuba said 32 of its military and police officers were killed during US strikes in Venezuela while on a mission requested by the Venezuelan government.
Havana declared two days of mourning, while US officials, including Donald Trump and Marco Rubio, pointed to Cuban involvement in propping up Maduro’s security apparatus.
32 Cuban Officers Killed In US Military Operation In Venezuela, Havana Says
The US operation reportedly led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, with Washington acknowledging deaths but not confirming a toll.
Summary
An American military operation in Venezuela killed 32 Cuban military and police officers over the weekend, the Cuban government said on Sunday, providing the first official death toll from the US strikes in the South American nation.
According to a statement read on Cuban state television on Sunday night, the officers were part of a mission being carried out by Cuba’s security forces at the request of Venezuela’s government.
It remains unclear what the Cuban personnel were engaged in while in Venezuela. Cuba is a close ally of the Venezuelan government and has for years deployed military and police forces to assist with operations there. Rumours about Cuban casualties had circulated on the island over the weekend.
“You know, a lot of Cubans were killed yesterday,” US President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday night while flying from Florida to Washington. “There was a lot of death on the other side. No death on our side.”
The US operation on Saturday reportedly resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, who are to face prosecution under an indictment accusing them of involvement in a narco-terrorism conspiracy. Venezuela’s government has acknowledged that people were killed in the American strikes but did not specify a number to The Associated Press.
Cuba announced two days of national mourning for the officers who were killed. Former president and revolutionary leader Raúl Castro, along with President Miguel Díaz-Canel, sent condolences to the families of the deceased. Cuban authorities did not immediately release the names of those killed or the positions they held.
“Faithful to their responsibilities for 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 the bombings of the facilities,” the official statement said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also highlighted Cuban involvement in Venezuela over the weekend, saying Maduro’s internal security apparatus was led by Cubans and that they were “propping up Maduro.”
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“All the guards that help protect Maduro — this is well known — their whole spy agency, all that were full of Cubans,” Rubio said.
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