The Cuban government has said 32 of its nationals were killed during the US operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. A short statement did not elaborate on the role of the Cubans in Venezuela, but the two governments are long-standing allies, with Cuba providing security support in exchange for oil. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said they had been providing protection to Maduro and his wife "at the request" of Venezuela. Venezuela has not confirmed how many people were killed during the US raid on Maduro's compound in Caracas on Saturday. During his first term as president, Trump took a similar approach to Cuba, implementing a raft of additional sanctions.

Source: The Star January 05, 2026 17:25 UTC