Cuba Claimed The Death Of Its Military Guarding Maduro

• 5.01.2026, 10:20

This is an unprecedented recognition.

A U.S. military operation in Venezuela, which included airstrikes on targets in the capital Caracas and the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, has left 32 Cubans dead.

A statement released by the administration of the president of the Republic of Cuba on the official Facebook page on Jan. 4 said they were on missions representing the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Interior Ministry at the request of their counterparts in Venezuela.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel declared the country in national mourning on January 5 and 6.

The New York Times (NYT) noted that "it marked an unprecedented public acknowledgement by Cuba of the fact that its soldiers are in Venezuela."

The NYT also points out that this is a rare public signal of Cuba's importance to Venezuela and the government of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro.