Cuba has confirmed that 32 of its nationals died during a large-scale United States military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, sparking outrage in Havana and raising serious regional security concerns.
Cuban Ambassador to Saint Lucia Yenielys Linares said Cuba has “condemned, energetically, what happened in Venezuela with the kidnapping of President Maduro and his wife and also the invasion to that country.”
The operation, which took place in Caracas on 3 January 2026, saw U.S. forces seize Maduro and transport him to New York for prosecution on narcoterrorism and related charges.
Ambassador Linares confirmed that 32 Cubans were killed during the U.S. action.
“Thirty-two Cubans died there,” she said, adding that the losses “violate everything that is in the charts of the United Nations.”
Cuban government statements also noted that their personnel “fulfilled their duty with dignity and heroism” while defending Venezuela’s security, according to state media releases published by Havana.
Linares made clear that Cuba’s solidarity extends to those left behind. “Not only the embassy, the entire Cuban people is supporting all the relatives or the families of the Cubans that died there,” she said, underscoring the national impact of the casualties.
In response to the killings, Cuba declared a period of national mourning and has vowed to demand peace and solidarity from the international community.
“We demand peace, demand the solidarity,” the ambassador said.
Linares also signalled that diplomatic channels will be active in the coming days.
“Those are actions that need to be done between the embassies, between the governments, the actions that need to be published will be published in due time,” she stated, indicating that further communication and official responses may follow.
The deaths of the Cuban nationals have added to the intense backlash against the U.S. intervention, with critics arguing the action breached international law and escalated instability in Latin America.