CUBA MARKS TWO DAYS OF MOURNING FOR 32 KILLED IN VENEZUELA RAID

The Cuban government announced on Sunday that 32 of its citizens were killed during a U.S. raid in Venezuela aimed at extracting President Nicolás Maduro for prosecution in the United States.

Havana stated there would be two days of mourning on January 5 and 6 to honor those who died, with funeral arrangements to be announced shortly.

The Cuban government provided few details about the incident but confirmed all victims were members of the armed forces or intelligence agencies.

“True to their responsibilities concerning security and defense, 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 provided security for Maduro since he came to power. It remains unclear how many Cubans were guarding the Venezuelan president when they died or whether additional casualties occurred elsewhere.

On Saturday, Maduro, 63, and his wife Cilia Flores were seized by U.S. forces in Caracas and flown to New York, where he is detained awaiting a Monday court appearance on drug charges.

Maduro was indicted in 2020 on U.S. charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, which he has consistently denied.