Havana was cloaked in somber reverence this week as urns carrying the remains of 32 Cuban officers arrived home from Venezuela. Trumpets played mournfully as white-gloved soldiers carried the urns from a plane, met by thousands of Cubans lining iconic streets, their hearts heavy with grief and defiance.
These officers were tragically killed during a U.S.-backed raid on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s residence. The mission? To seize Maduro for drug trafficking charges. State media also showed wounded combatants, highlighting the “disproportionate attack” that claimed 11 lives in their sleep, as one survivor recounted.
This wasn’t just a funeral; it was a national outpouring of grief and a powerful statement of unity. Tens of thousands paid their respects, seeing the fallen as “heroes” in an ongoing anti-imperialist struggle. Cuba’s leaders, including President Miguel Díaz-Canel and former President Raúl Castro, stood solemnly, unfurling a massive flag as officials condemned the “enemy” who speaks of “high-precision operations” while Cuba mourns “faces, families who have lost a father, a son.”
Tensions between Cuba and the U.S. have been escalating, with President Trump issuing vague “too late” warnings and asserting Cuba will no longer “live off Venezuela’s money and oil.” Experts fear the end of oil shipments could cripple Cuba’s already struggling economy. Despite this, the Cuban spirit remains unbroken. Citizens like industrial designer Carmen Gómez expressed fierce patriotism, hoping “no one invades her country.”
Adding to the friction, U.S. humanitarian aid for hurricane relief, intended to bypass the Cuban government via the Catholic Church, was labeled “opportunistic and politically manipulative” by Cuba’s Foreign Minister. Yet, the message from the Cuban people remains clear: dignity cannot be bought. As one doctor put it, “Trump… is going to have to take an aspirin… if he comes here. These were 32 heroes… Can you imagine an entire nation?”
Source: https://www.times-standard.com/2026/01/15/cubans-killed-venezuela-us-returned/
