Cuba said on Monday that 32 of its citizens were killed during a U.S. military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, sharply condemning the raid and accusing Washington of committing an act of aggression.
The Cuban government said those killed were deployed on official assignments linked to the Cuban Armed Forces and the interior ministry. According to Havana, the deaths occurred amid intense fighting during the U.S. operation carried out over the weekend.
In a statement posted on social media, Cuba’s presidential office said the individuals were engaged in security and defense duties at the time of the attack.
“Faithful to their responsibilities with security and defense, our compatriots fulfilled their duty with dignity and heroically and fell, after ferocious resistance, into direct combat against the attackers or as a result of the bombings of the facilities,” the statement said.
Cuba described the U.S. strikes as a “criminal act of aggression and state terrorism,” adding that the government would formally honor those who were killed.
The U.S. operation on Saturday led to the arrest and removal of Maduro to New York, according to U.S. officials. Reports indicate that members of the Venezuelan leader’s security detail were also killed during the raid.
The military action followed weeks of heightened U.S. activity in the region, including troop movements, naval deployments, and escalating rhetoric from President Donald Trump toward the Maduro government.
Following the operation, Trump said Washington would assume temporary control over Venezuela during a transition period.
“We will run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration intends to use economic and military pressure to shape Venezuela’s future. Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press, Rubio said the United States would rely on leverage created by its oil blockade and regional military presence.
“We want Venezuela to move in a certain direction,” Rubio said.
In a separate interview on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Rubio said the U.S. has effectively imposed what he described as a “quarantine” on Venezuelan oil.
“That means their economy will not be able to move forward until the conditions that are in the national interest of the United States and the interests of the Venezuelan people are met, and that’s what we intend to do,” he said.
In recent months, the United States has seized oil tankers linked to Venezuela and expanded its military footprint in the Caribbean, moves that have drawn criticism from several governments aligned with Caracas.
Cuba’s statement adds to mounting international backlash following the raid, as questions grow over civilian casualties, regional stability, and the long-term consequences of U.S. intervention in Venezuela.
