Jan 05, 2026, 10:01 AM
(This post was last modified: Jan 05, 2026, 10:08 AM by Crimsonday.)
In a fiery condemnation, the Cuban government has announced that 32 of its citizens were killed during a dramatic U.S. military raid in Venezuela this past Saturday—an operation that resulted in the forcible extraction and arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
According to an official statement from Cuba’s presidential office, the fallen were "performing missions on behalf of the Cuban Armed Forces and interior ministry." They reportedly died in fierce combat, either in direct firefights with U.S. forces or during the bombardment of facilities.
"Faithful to their responsibilities… our compatriots fulfilled their duty with dignity and heroically fell," the declaration read, vowing a national tribute to the dead. The Cuban government branded the U.S. operation a "criminal act of aggression and state terrorism."
The raid marks a staggering escalation after weeks of U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean and public threats from President Donald Trump against Maduro. Following the operation, Trump declared the U.S. would now "run" Venezuela to oversee what he called a "safe, proper and judicious transition."
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reinforced the hardline stance, outlining plans to use a crippling oil blockade and sustained military pressure to bend Venezuela to Washington’s will.
"We want Venezuela to move in a certain direction," Rubio stated bluntly, adding that the U.S. economic "quarantine" would strangle the nation’s economy until American demands are met.
The operation caps months of aggressive U.S. maneuvers, including the seizure of Venezuelan tankers and a conspicuous deployment of warships and aircraft to the region—signaling a new and volatile chapter in hemispheric conflict.
According to an official statement from Cuba’s presidential office, the fallen were "performing missions on behalf of the Cuban Armed Forces and interior ministry." They reportedly died in fierce combat, either in direct firefights with U.S. forces or during the bombardment of facilities.
"Faithful to their responsibilities… our compatriots fulfilled their duty with dignity and heroically fell," the declaration read, vowing a national tribute to the dead. The Cuban government branded the U.S. operation a "criminal act of aggression and state terrorism."
The raid marks a staggering escalation after weeks of U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean and public threats from President Donald Trump against Maduro. Following the operation, Trump declared the U.S. would now "run" Venezuela to oversee what he called a "safe, proper and judicious transition."
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reinforced the hardline stance, outlining plans to use a crippling oil blockade and sustained military pressure to bend Venezuela to Washington’s will.
"We want Venezuela to move in a certain direction," Rubio stated bluntly, adding that the U.S. economic "quarantine" would strangle the nation’s economy until American demands are met.
The operation caps months of aggressive U.S. maneuvers, including the seizure of Venezuelan tankers and a conspicuous deployment of warships and aircraft to the region—signaling a new and volatile chapter in hemispheric conflict.