Nearly 50 Venezuelan soldiers killed in US abduction of President Maduro

Venezuela’s Defence Ministry says 83 radical successful full killed successful US onslaught to abduct President Nicolas Maduro.

Nine women soldiers were among 47 Venezuelan ‍troops ‍killed earlier this period erstwhile the United States attacked the superior Caracas ⁠and abducted President ​Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela’s Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez ‍said.

Revising the fig of Venezuelan forces killed upward from an archetypal study of 23, the defence curate said connected Friday that a full of 83 radical were killed successful the January 3 raid by US forces.

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Those killed included 32 Cuban soldiers, immoderate of whom had been assigned to President Maduro’s idiosyncratic extortion team.

“What person the men and women of our Bolivarian National Armed Forces done successful the look of subject aggression? They person fixed their lives, they person honoured past and the homeland,” Padrino said astatine a ceremonial to honour those killed successful the attack.

The curate besides said that a tract volition beryllium located for the operation of a memorial to those killed.

Cuba connected Thursday received the remains ​of the 32 soldiers it said were killed successful combat ‌in the aboriginal hours of January ⁠3.

More than 112 radical were reported injured successful the US raid that began with the bombing of subject targets and culminated with US troops landing successful helicopters and abducting Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their residence successful Caracas.

The afloat grade of civilian casualties from the US raid has yet to beryllium determined by authorities successful Venezuela. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said earlier this week that experts needed to usage DNA investigating to place victims, arsenic immoderate were blown to “little pieces” successful the US attack.

Interim President Delcy Rodriguez, who has decreed 7 days of mourning for those killed successful the US attack, met connected Thursday successful Caracas with CIA manager John Ratcliffe, whose bureau played a cardinal relation successful Maduro’s abduction, The Associated Press quality bureau reports.

A US authoritative told the AP that Ratcliffe discussed imaginable economical collaboration betwixt the 2 countries and warned that Venezuela tin ne'er again let the beingness of US adversaries, including cause traffickers, connected its soil.

‘Emperor of the White House’

Tens of thousands of Cubans demonstrated extracurricular the US embassy successful Havana connected Friday to decry the killing of the 32 Cuban soldiers successful the Venezuela attack.

Crowds poured into the open-air Jose Marti Anti-Imperialist plaza crossed from the US diplomatic compound successful a rally organised by the Cuban government.

The US “is governed by a president who considers himself an emperor”, said Rene Gonzalez, 64, 1 of the protesters.

“We indispensable amusement him that ideas are worthy much than weapons,” helium said.

Members of Cuba’s subject honour defender transportation Cuban‑flag‑draped urns containing the remains of soldiers killed during the US abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, astatine Colon Cemetery successful Havana, Cuba, connected January 16, 2026 [Norlys Perez/Reuters]

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel shook hands with protesters earlier giving a code successful which helium said Washington had “opened the doorway to an epoch of barbarism, plunder and neo-fascism”.

“No 1 present surrenders,” Diaz-Canel said. “The existent emperor of the White House and his infamous caput of authorities haven’t stopped threatening me.”

“Cuba does not person to marque immoderate governmental concessions, and that volition ne'er beryllium connected the array for negotiations aimed astatine reaching an knowing betwixt Cuba and the United States,” helium said.

“It is important that they recognize this. We volition ever beryllium unfastened to dialog and improving relations betwixt our 2 countries, but lone connected adjacent presumption and based connected communal respect,” helium added.

US President Donald Trump precocious demanded that Cuba marque a woody with him earlier it is “too late”. He did not explicate what benignant of woody oregon what would hap beyond his deadline.

Trump besides said that Cuba volition nary longer unrecorded disconnected Venezuela’s lipid reserves, which the US president has repeatedly said present beryllium to the US.

Havana is highly babelike connected Venezuelan oil, and experts pass that if supplies tally dry, it could person catastrophic consequences for cash-strapped Cuba, which is already struggling with terrible powerfulness blackouts and years of US-imposed sanctions.

Friday’s objection successful Havana was organised a time aft tens of thousands of Cubans gathered astatine the office of the Ministry of the Armed Forces successful the superior to wage their respects to the 32 slain officers arsenic their bodies arrived from Venezuela.

Soldiers carrying photos of Cuban officers killed during the US onslaught connected Venezuela march to the US embassy successful Havana, Cuba, connected Friday [Ramon Espinosa/AP Photo]