Cuba releases details of 32 officers killed in US strike on Venezuela as US defends attack

Cuba Mourns Military Personnel Killed During U.S. Operation in Venezuela

The Cuban government published on Tuesday the names, ranks, and ages of 32 military personnel killed during the U.S. operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The announcement, which included a declaration of two days of mourning, revealed that the deceased included officers ranging from colonels to lieutenants, as well as reserve soldiers, with ages spanning from 26 to 60.

The fallen personnel belonged to Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Ministry of Interior, the island nation’s primary security agencies. Cuban state media released their headshots, showing them in olive-green military uniforms, though specific details about their missions or the exact circumstances of their deaths were not provided.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez issued a defiant statement on social media platform X, declaring that Cubans were “prepared to give their lives” against any U.S. intervention as the country considers the implications of Maduro’s removal from power.

“The U.S. president, displaying a complete lack of understanding about Cuba and repeating the agenda of lies of Cuban-American politicians and other interest groups, blasphemes against and threatens our people,” Rodríguez wrote. “Our valiant people, true to their history of struggle, will defend their nation against any imperialist aggression.”

In an earlier statement on Sunday, Cuban authorities acknowledged that their personnel were in Venezuela as part of bilateral agreements between the two allied nations. “Our compatriots fulfilled their duty with dignity and heroism, falling after fierce resistance in direct combat against the attackers, or as a result of the bombing of the facilities,” the official statement read.

Information about the Cuban officers began circulating Monday night, with public expressions of support for their sacrifice. However, Luis Domínguez, who runs the website Represores Cubanos, which documents alleged human rights abuses by Cuban officials, suggested a disconnect between public and private sentiment on the island.

“You have to say that to say the same thing as the government,” Domínguez said. “Inside, Cubans have to be saying something else.”

Among the deceased was 67-year-old Colonel Humberto Alfonso Roca Sánchez, believed to be the former garrison commander of Punto Cero, where Fidel Castro once resided. Another fallen officer, 62-year-old Colonel Lázaro Evangelio Rodríguez Rodríguez, reportedly oversaw Cuba’s coast and border guards.

Cuba and Venezuela have maintained strong economic and political alliances for decades, with agreements spanning security, energy, and other sectors. Venezuela has provided subsidized oil to Cuba since 2000, a critical lifeline for the island’s economy. However, the extent of military or advisory exchanges between the two nations has rarely been publicly detailed.

The independent website La Joven Cuba briefly published a profile of one of the fallen officers, 32-year-old First Lieutenant Yunio Estévez, a communications expert who headed a personal security department. Written by a close friend, the article included personal details and photos with his three children from Guantánamo province. According to the report, Estévez was shot during the attack. The post was later removed at the family’s request.

The U.S. operation has sparked diplomatic tensions across Latin America. During a special meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS) on Tuesday, a protester interrupted U.S. Ambassador Leandro Rizzuto’s speech, shouting “The majority of people are against this!” and “Hands off Venezuela!” before being escorted out.

Rizzuto defended the U.S. action as a “targeted law enforcement action” against an “indicted criminal,” not an invasion. “President Trump offered Maduro multiple offramps. This was not an interference in democracy…it actually removed the obstacle to it,” he stated.

Several countries strongly condemned the U.S. operation during the OAS meeting. Colombia’s vice minister of foreign relations, Mauricio Jaramillo, denounced what he described as an attack against Venezuela’s sovereignty, calling the unilateral military action a “clear violation of international law” that set “an extremely worrying” precedent.

Outside the OAS headquarters, protesters gathered with signs reading “No war on Venezuela” and “Arepas Not Bombs,” reflecting ongoing tensions over U.S. policy in the region.