Cuba mourns 32 soldiers killed in US attack on Venezuela
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The 32 soldiers - members of Cuba’s armed forces and intelligence agencies - died during a Jan 3 US raid on Caracas to capture Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro.
PHOTO: AFP
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- Cuba received the remains of 32 soldiers killed during a US attack in Venezuela, honouring them as national heroes during a ceremony.
- The soldiers, who were members of the Cuban armed forces, died during the US raid in Caracas, where Nicolas Maduro was captured.
- Tensions between the US and Cuba have escalated after Donald Trump threatened to cut off Venezuelan oil, leading to a planned protest.
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HAVANA - Cuba on Jan 15 received the remains of its 32 soldiers killed in combat during the US attack on Venezuela and stunning capture of its president, Mr Nicolas Maduro, paying homage to the troops as national "heroes".
The remains of the soldiers, members of Cuba’s armed forces and intelligence agencies, arrived early on Jan 15 at Havana’s international airport, in caskets draped in the Cuban flag.
Cuba has provided some security for Mr Maduro since he came to power. It was not clear how many of the fallen Cubans were guarding the Venezuelan president when they died, or how many may have perished elsewhere.
The communist government of Cuba earlier this month said 32 of its citizens had died during the US raid on the Venezuelan capital Caracas.
A military band in white uniforms played the Cuban national anthem on the tarmac during a ceremony overseen by President Miguel Diaz-Canel, 94-year-old former leader Raul Castro and top military officials.
General Lazaro Alberto Alvarez said the fallen troops represented Cuba’s unwavering commitment to its homeland and allies.
“If this painful chapter of history has demonstrated anything, it is that imperialism may possess the most sophisticated weapons, may impose immense material wealth, may buy the minds of the wavering, but there is one thing it will never be able to buy: the dignity of the Cuban people,” he said.
A motorcade later transferred the bodies to the armed forces ministry along one of the capital’s main boulevards, lined by thousands paying their respects, waving flags and saluting.
Mr Maduro, 63, and his wife Cilia Flores were seized by US forces in Caracas on Jan 3
Tensions between the US and Cuba spiralled this week after US President Donald Trump told Cuba he would cut off Venezuelan oil and money from reaching the island, warning Havana to make a deal before it’s “too late.”
Mr Trump’s comment prompted a defiant response from Mr Diaz-Canel, who said Cuba would defend its homeland “to the last drop of blood.”
Cuba has planned a march on Jan 16 in front of the US embassy to protest US aggression in Venezuela. REUTERS
