The acting president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, delivered a passionate speech during a tribute to the fallen soldiers on January 3rd, in which she praised the armed resistance of Chavismo against the U.S. operation that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
In front of the family members of the Venezuelans who died in the attack (in which 32 Cuban fighters also perished), Rodríguez said: "Honor and glory to the men and women who died in combat. No one here surrendered; there was a fight… for Venezuela. That is our greatest satisfaction, and that is the answer."
In her speech, the leader asserted that "the whole of Venezuela has rejected this vulgar violation of our sovereignty" and announced the construction of a monument in honor of those who "did not surrender to foreign aggression."
Rodríguez insisted that "weapons are to protect the Republic" and stated that the nation will continue to present itself to the world with an "unbreakable spirit" in the face of any attempt at subordination.
He also reaffirmed his loyalty to Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, whom he again referred to as "kidnapped," and assured that they will not rest "until they see them free, back in their home and back in their homeland."
With this, the leader reaffirmed her alignment with a dictator accused by U.S. justice of drug trafficking, at a time when both national and international sectors suggest that Venezuela could be paving a path towards democracy.
In the tribute, Delcy stated that the Cuban and Venezuelan military personnel killed during the American attack should be regarded as "heroes and heroines of the homeland".
"The brothers of Cuba, children of Martí and Fidel, are also heroes and heroines of the homeland, because as one people they fought in defense against illegal and illegitimate aggression," he added.
A few days ago, Cuba released the identities of the 32 Cubans who died during the United States attack on Venezuela, all of whom were members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior.
According to the Government, they "carried out missions at the request of counterpart agencies in Venezuela," which constituted an official acknowledgment of the Cuban military presence in the Andean country, a fact that Havana had denied for years.
The exaltation of chavismo regarding armed resistance and the glorification of the fallen stand in stark contrast to the growing debate about the need for a democratic transition that would put an end to years of authoritarianism, economic crisis, and international isolation.
As part of this symbolic initiative, Rodríguez announced the creation of a commission for the comprehensive support of the families of the fallen combatants, in addition to the construction of a memorial monument.
These measures aim to institutionalize the memory of the deceased and to consolidate the narrative of "heroes and martyrs" that the regime promotes to sustain its legitimacy.
The tribute took place in the presence of the leadership of the Venezuelan interim government and Cuba's Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodríguez, highlighting the continuity of the strategic bond between Caracas and Havana.
In that context, Rodríguez's speech not only glorifies the fallen but also seeks to reinforce the political alliance between both regimes, while his country faces the challenge of a new scenario: the real possibility that Venezuela embarks on a path of institutional reconstruction and a return to democracy following the collapse of a dictatorship accused of serious crimes and drug trafficking.
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