The Cuban government said on Sunday that 32 of its citizens were killed during a US military operation in Venezuela aimed at capturing President Nicolas Maduro for prosecution in the United States.
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In a statement, Havana announced two days of national mourning on January 5 and 6 to honour those killed, adding that funeral arrangements would be announced later.
The Cuban government provided limited details but said all those killed were members of Cuba’s armed forces and intelligence agencies. According to the statement, the victims died while carrying out their duties related to security and defence.
“True to their responsibilities concerning security and defence, 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 bombings on the facilities,” the statement said.
Cuba has long provided security assistance to President Maduro since he came to power. It remains unclear how many Cuban personnel were guarding the Venezuelan leader at the time of the raid and how many may have been killed elsewhere during the operation.
Maduro, 63, and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized by US forces in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, on Saturday and flown to the United States. He is currently being held at a detention centre in New York and is expected to appear in court on Monday on drug-related charges.
Maduro was indicted in 2020 on US charges including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism. He has consistently denied any involvement in criminal activity.
