Caracas honors dead after U.S. operation

Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodríguez presided over a formal military tribute in Caracas to honor personnel said to have been killed during a recent U.S. military operation that led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. The ceremony at the Military Academy included presentation of national flags, posthumous promotions and decorations to relatives, and attendance by Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez. Venezuelan officials described the victims as both military and civilian and characterized the operation as an act of foreign aggression.

Authorities reported heavy casualties: Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello put the toll at around 100 dead, while Cuba’s president said 32 Cuban nationals serving in Maduro’s security detail were among the fatalities. Caracas announced a seven-day national mourning period and framed the commemoration as a demonstration of national unity and resistance to what it called imperialist aggression. Acting President Rodríguez urged vindication through diplomatic channels rather than retaliatory violence, addressing the U.S. public with an appeal that Venezuelans did not deserve aggression from a nuclear power.

The government’s account contrasts sharply with the U.S. portrayal of the operation; details remain contested and independent verification of casualty figures has not been reported. The inclusion of Cuban casualties highlights the international dimensions of the incident and underscores close military ties between Havana and Caracas. The event reinforced state messaging that the operation violated Venezuelan sovereignty and inflicted grave losses, with ceremonies designed to honor the dead and solidify public support for the government’s diplomatic response.

International and regional reactions are expected to hinge on clarifying facts about the operation, the chain of events that led to the capture of Maduro, and verification of reported deaths. The dispute amplifies existing tensions between Caracas and Washington and risks further straining relations between allied states involved or implicated in the episode. Venezuelan authorities signalled they will pursue diplomatic avenues for redress while mobilising domestic symbolism—honours, mourning and public ceremonies—to consolidate legitimacy and national solidarity in the wake of the operation.