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Cuba announces 32 deaths in US operation targeting Maduro
Havana declared two days of national mourning after confirming 32 Cuban military and intelligence personnel died during the US raid on Nicolás Maduro's residence in Caracas. The Cuban government stated the individuals were protecting the Venezuelan leader at Venezuela's request.
Cuba's statement and Venezuela's silence
In a brief announcement, Cuban authorities said their nationals "fulfilled their duty with dignity and heroism" but were killed "in direct combat against attackers or due to bombings on the facilities." Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel confirmed the Cubans were guarding Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, though he did not specify their exact roles.
Venezuela has not released an official death toll from the Saturday raid on Maduro's compound. However, The New York Times, citing an unnamed Venezuelan official, reported Sunday that 80 people died, with the number expected to climb. This figure has not been independently verified by BBC News.
US-Cuba tensions escalate amid speculation
Following Maduro's capture, questions have emerged about whether the Trump administration might consider a similar operation against Cuba, which has had strained relations with the US for decades. President Donald Trump dismissed the need for military action during a Sunday press briefing, stating, "Cuba is ready to fall. I don't think we need any action. Looks like it's going down. It's going down for the count."
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed Trump's stance, calling Cuba a "disaster" led by "incompetent, senile men." Rubio added, "If I lived in Havana, and I was in the government, I'd be concerned-at least a little bit."
US tightens restrictions on Cuba
In July 2025, Trump signed a memorandum imposing stricter measures on Cuba, reversing policies implemented by his predecessor, Joe Biden, which had eased pressure on the island. The White House stated the new restrictions aimed to end "economic practices that disproportionately benefit the Cuban government, military, intelligence, or security agencies at the expense of the Cuban people."
The memorandum also reinforced existing limits on American travel to Cuba. Trump's approach mirrors his first-term policies, which included additional sanctions and the continuation of a long-standing US economic embargo. The blockade, imposed in 1962, remains in place despite calls from international organizations, including the United Nations, to lift it.
Historical context of US-Cuba relations
The US and Cuba have maintained adversarial relations since the 1960s, following the Cuban Revolution and the subsequent alignment of Fidel Castro's government with the Soviet Union. The US embargo, initially imposed in 1962, has been a persistent point of contention, with critics arguing it has failed to achieve its objectives while harming the Cuban population.
Trump's latest measures reflect a broader strategy of applying maximum pressure on regimes perceived as hostile to US interests, a policy that has also targeted Venezuela and other nations in the region.
