In a devastating turn of events, the bodies of 32 Cuban soldiers and security personnel have been returned to Cuba following their deaths during a US military intervention in Venezuela. The Venezuelan government has reported that over 100 people were killed in the country during the US raid on the capital, Caracas, on 3 January.
The Cubans were serving as protection officers for Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro when he was forcibly removed from Venezuelan soil and taken to New York to face drug trafficking charges. The soldiers’ remains will be received with military honours in Havana, where the public can pay their respects. Subsequent events are planned across the island, and a protest is scheduled to take place outside the US embassy on Friday before the bodies are laid to rest.
Many of those killed were tasked with safeguarding Maduro when US Delta Force troops entered his compound. This incident is believed to be the largest number of Cuban combatants killed by the US military since the failed Bay of Pigs invasion to overthrow former leader Fidel Castro’s regime in 1961.
Venezuela is a long-standing ally of Cuba, and the recent US action has prompted a harsh response from the Cuban government. US President Donald Trump has maintained pressure on Cuba, stating that the country is “ready to fall” and that the interim Venezuelan government of Delcy Rodríguez would no longer be sending oil to Cuba – a move that would represent a significant blow to the communist-run nation.
Cuba is currently grappling with an acute economic and energy crisis, and the loss of its most important benefactor of the past 25 years would be a devastating blow. The Cuban government has vowed to continue resisting against pressure and the economic embargo from Washington, but Cubans are understandably concerned about the implications of a deepening conflict with the US, particularly when it comes to maintaining basic necessities such as electricity and food supplies.
This tragic incident has once again highlighted the complex geopolitical tensions in the region and the human cost of the ongoing power struggle between the US and its adversaries. As Cuba mourns the loss of its citizens, the repercussions of this event are likely to be felt for years to come.
