Cuba receives remains of 32 troops killed in US operation to capture Maduro

Cuba on Thursday received the remains of 32 of its military personnel killed earlier this month in fighting during a U.S. military operation in Venezuela that culminated in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, state authorities said, paying tribute to the fallen as national heroes.

The coffins, draped in Cuban flags, arrived early at José Martí International Airport in Havana, where President Miguel Díaz-Canel and former leader Raúl Castro oversaw a solemn ceremony with top military officials. A military band played the national anthem as the urns were carried onto the tarmac. It was the first mass funeral held in Cuba in 50 years.

Interior Minister General Lázaro Alberto Álvarez Casas told the gathering that the soldiers had shown “unwavering commitment” to Cuba and its allies and represented the island’s revolutionary spirit. Thousands lined the route as a procession moved the remains to the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces for further honours.

Cuba’s government said its citizens, drawn from the armed forces and intelligence services, were killed on Jan. 3 during a U.S. operation in Caracas aimed at capturing Maduro to face drug-related charges in the United States. Washington has portrayed the action as a law-enforcement mission, while Havana has condemned it as aggression.

It was unclear exactly how many of the Cubans were assigned to protect Maduro’s security detail when they died, or whether others perished elsewhere during the operation. Venezuelan officials have suggested higher overall casualties from the raid.

The repatriation of the remains comes amid sharply escalating tensions between Cuba and the United States. Cuban state media say President Donald Trump has threatened to cut off Venezuelan oil and financial flows to the island, prompting defiant statements from Díaz-Canel that Cuba will defend its sovereignty.

Cuba has declared several days of national mourning and plans protests, including a march near the U.S. embassy, to denounce the U.S. action. The ceremony in Havana marks one of the most significant public remembrances of Cuban military fatalities in decades.