Cuba confirmed that 32 of its soldiers and military personnel are dead and were killed while defending Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro during the US military operation that resulted in his capture. The fatalities mark the first official casualty report released by a foreign government regarding the US intervention carried out in the early hours of Saturday, January 3.
According to a statement from Cuba’s Ministry of the Interior, the soldiers were members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior. They were serving as part of Maduro’s immediate security detail at the request of Venezuelan authorities when the attack occurred.
“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 statement read.
Cuba declares two days of mourning over dead soldiers in Venezuela
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel expressed his dismay over the deaths and decreed two days of national mourning beginning Monday.
“Honor and glory to the brave Cuban fighters who fell facing terrorists in imperial uniform, who kidnapped and illegally removed the President of Venezuela and his wife from their country,” Diaz-Canel wrote on social media.
Honor y gloria a los bravos combatientes cubanos que cayeron enfrentando a terroristas en uniforme imperial, que secuestraron y sacaron ilegalmente de su país al Presidente de #Venezuela y esposa, cuyas vidas ayudaban a proteger los nuestros por solicitud de esa hermana nación. pic.twitter.com/kJmhFjY5Zn
— Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (@DiazCanelB) January 5, 2026
General Raúl Castro also sent condolences to the families of the deceased, although the government did not release the specific identities of the fallen soldiers.
Cuban influence in Caracas
The presence of soldiers and military personnel from Cuba in Maduro’s inner circle reflects a long-standing cooperation between the two nations. Since the early days of Hugo Chavez’s administration, Cuban advisers have penetrated Venezuelan institutions, eventually overseeing intelligence, counterintelligence, and presidential security.
Maduro’s “first ring” of security, the Presidential Honor Guard, consisted of bodyguards selected by both Cuban and Venezuelan security services. Following the contested July 2024 elections, Maduro reshuffled his security leadership, appointing General Javier Jose Marcano Tabata to head the unit.
While Havana has issued a detailed statement on its losses, the Venezuelan government, led by Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, has not released information regarding Venezuelan military or civilian casualties. Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez stated minutes after the operation that officials were gathering information on the dead and wounded, but no official toll has been provided since. Unofficial reports cite up to eighty deaths, according to figures reported by The New York Times.
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