US forces killed at least 55 Venezuelan and Cuban military personnel during their raid to capture Nicolás Maduro, according to tolls released on Tuesday (January 6) by Caracas and Havana, AFP reported.
In its first confirmation of casualties, Venezuela’s military said 23 service members were killed in Saturday’s US attacks that led to Maduro’s ouster as president. Caracas has not released an official figure for civilian deaths.
Cuba lists 32 dead
Cuba separately confirmed that 32 members of its armed forces and interior ministry security personnel assigned to duties in Caracas were killed in the raids, AFP stated citing the report.
The dead ranged in age from 26 to 67 and included two colonels and a lieutenant colonel.
Maduro security detail ‘largely wiped out’
Many of the Cuban personnel are believed to have been part of Maduro’s security detail, which was “largely wiped out” in the assault, according to Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez.
How the raid unfolded
The operation began with US bombing raids on military targets before special forces arrived by helicopter to seize Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from a compound.
They were later flown to New York, where they appeared in court on Monday and pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and other charges.
Interim president sworn in
Hours after Maduro’s court appearance, his former deputy Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as interim president.
US conditions for cooperation
US President Donald Trump said he was willing to work with Rodríguez provided she meets US demands, including granting American companies access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, according to AFP.
Balancing act for new leadership
Rodríguez faces a delicate task of responding to US pressure while retaining the loyalty of Maduro’s supporters, particularly hardliners who control the security forces and paramilitaries patrolling the streets since Maduro’s capture, AFP reported.
Journalists detained, then released
Highlighting continued repression, 14 journalists — most working for foreign media — were detained while covering Rodríguez’s inauguration at parliament on Monday, a journalists’ union said, according to the news outlet.
Two other foreign journalists were detained near the Colombian border. All were later released, AFP added.
