A colonel of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba, injured during the operation on January 3 in Caracas that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro, broke his silence this Thursday on Cuban state television and provided a testimony that, beyond the official narrative, reveals key details about the Cuban military presence in Venezuela and the true extent of the events.
It is about Pedro Yadín Domínguez, who confirmed before the cameras of the Canal Caribe that he was in Caracas "fulfilling a mission" when the attack occurred. According to his account, he and other Cuban soldiers were resting when they were caught off guard by a large-scale air operation. "The attack resulted in the death of 11 of my comrades at that location," he stated, while describing an offensive that was "totally disproportionate."
Domínguez stated that the group had very little weaponry and their role was to support presidential security. "We hardly had any weapons," he said, before detailing that they were attacked with "planes, bombs, drones, unmanned aircraft, and helicopters that indiscriminately machine-gunned the area." According to him, the objective was clear: "Leave no one alive."
The colonel acknowledged that he was injured and had to be operated on in a Venezuelan military hospital, where—he claimed—he received care and support from the local armed forces. “I suffered some wounds as part of this aggression,” he stated, while displaying visible signs of physical recovery.
Although the television report insisted on labeling the operation as an "imperialist aggression," the testimony of the military officer confirms a detail that the Cuban government tends to handle with caution: the direct presence of Cuban officials in tasks related to the security of the Venezuelan political power. Domínguez stated this plainly when explaining that they were there "to support the president's security."
The official also spoke about the emotional impact of what happened and the connection with those who died. "One feels distressed, experiences deep sorrow for the loss of the comrades with whom we worked closely for several months," he said, justifying his presence at the posthumous tribute held in Havana.
In his final message, Domínguez reaffirmed his loyalty to the official discourse, but his own words hint at the magnitude of the episode and the human cost of a political alliance that extends beyond mere speeches. "We are committed to the revolution and to doing whatever it takes," he declared.
While the state television glorified the epic and the sacrifice, the testimony of the wounded colonel provides one of the clearest confirmations of the extent of Cuba's involvement in the Venezuelan crisis and how decisions made far from the Island continue to claim Cuban lives.
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