Havana, January 16, 2026 – The Cuban government on Thursday solemnly received and paid tribute to the remains of 32 military officers and security personnel killed during the U.S. military operation in Venezuela on January 3, 2026, which resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The repatriation and ceremonial events marked a poignant moment of national mourning for Cuba, a long-standing ally of Venezuela, as the island grapples with the aftermath of the raid and renewed U.S. pressure.
The remains arrived early Thursday morning at José Martí International Airport in Havana aboard a Cubana de Aviación flight. They were transported in urns draped in the Cuban flag, accompanied by a military honor guard wearing white gloves. President Miguel Díaz-Canel, clad in military uniform as commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, and 94-year-old former leader Army Gen. Raúl Castro Ruz were present to receive the urns in a dignified ceremony attended by high-ranking officials, relatives of the deceased, and members of the Cuban Communist Party.
Interior Minister Maj. Gen. Lázaro Alberto Álvarez Casas presided over the event, describing the fallen as heroes who died defending the sovereignty of a sister nation. “We do not receive them with resignation; we do so with deep pride,” Álvarez stated, emphasizing their commitment and sacrifice. The officers, drawn from Cuba's Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior (which oversees intelligence and security services), were part of longstanding bilateral security agreements with Venezuela. Reports indicate they served in Maduro's personal protection detail and broader intelligence support roles, a practice that has endured since the era of Hugo Chávez.
Following the airport reception, a motorcade transported the urns along one of Havana's main boulevards to the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (MINFAR) headquarters near Revolution Square. Thousands of Cubans lined the streets, waving flags, saluting, and paying respects despite rainy conditions. Many carried umbrellas as they watched the procession of military vehicles and motorcycles. The urns were placed on public display at MINFAR throughout the day, allowing citizens to offer condolences.
The ceremony is part of a two-day period of national mourning decreed by the government. On Friday, January 17, a major "March of the Combatant People" is scheduled to begin at the José Martí Anti-Imperialist Tribune—a symbolic square directly facing the U.S. Embassy in Havana. The march will honor the fallen and demonstrate national unity against perceived external aggression. Afterward, the remains will be buried in private ceremonies, with all Cuban municipalities planning posthumous tributes.
The deaths occurred during Operation Absolute Resolve, a U.S. military action on January 3 that involved airstrikes on targets in Caracas and surrounding areas, including military bases like Fort Tiuna and La Carlota. U.S. special forces then captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, at their residence, transporting them to the USS Iwo Jima and ultimately to New York for arraignment on federal narco-terrorism charges. The U.S. reported no fatalities among its personnel, though several were injured. Venezuelan authorities acknowledged at least 23 of their security personnel killed, with independent estimates placing total deaths higher, including the 32 Cubans confirmed by Havana.
Cuba's government condemned the U.S. strikes as a "criminal act of aggression and state terrorism," violating international law and sovereignty. The operation has severely strained Cuba-Venezuela ties, which for years involved Cuban medical, intelligence, and security personnel in exchange for subsidized oil shipments—critical for Cuba's energy needs.
In the immediate aftermath, President Donald Trump announced on January 4 that "no more oil or money" would flow from Venezuela to Cuba, declaring the island "ready to fall" and urging Havana to "make a deal" before it was "too late." Trump emphasized ending Venezuelan support for Cuba as part of enforcing a broader separation and pressuring the regime. Venezuela, once Cuba's largest oil supplier (providing around 26,500 barrels per day in recent years), has halted shipments amid the U.S.-imposed blockade and political upheaval following Maduro's capture.
Díaz-Canel responded defiantly on X, stating there is currently no direct communication channel with the Trump administration but affirming Cuba's willingness for "serious and respectful" dialogue. "As history shows, relations between the United States and Cuba, in order to move forward, must be based on international law rather than on hostility, threats, and economic coercion," he wrote. Cuban officials have rejected U.S. pressure as blackmail, vowing to defend national sovereignty "to the last drop of blood."
The repatriation and tributes evoke historical precedents of Cuban mourning for internationalist missions, such as the 1976 Cubana Flight bombing or the 1989 Operation Tribute for Angola war dead. With Venezuela's interim government under Vice President Delcy Rodríguez navigating the transition, Cuba faces heightened economic risks from the oil cutoff, including potential blackouts and shortages. Analysts warn of worsening conditions that could spark domestic unrest.
The events underscore deepening U.S.-Cuba tensions, with Washington viewing Cuban involvement in Venezuela as a security threat, while Havana frames the fallen as martyrs in the defense of anti-imperialist solidarity.
