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The Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel stated that the 32 Cuban soldiers who died in Caracas during the U.S. operation to capture Nicolás Maduro "gave their lives" in a battle that, in his words, honors them as a testament to heroism.
During the tribute held at the Anti-Imperialist Tribune, Díaz-Canel stated that, while the world seems to abandon utopias and surrender to money and technology, Cubans fought until the end.
“... 32 brave Cubans dedicate their lives and grow larger in a fierce battle until the last bullet!, until the last breath! There are no enemies capable of intimidating such heroism!” he expressed.
The leader stated that U.S. officials have acknowledged the "bravery" of the Cubans and the "fierce resistance" they put up, despite their disadvantage in terms of forces and firepower.
"Those of us who have the brave fighters of Personal Security as part of our family and know their spartan readiness to defend the lives in their custody knew, before it was confirmed, that they would behave like titans even in their last battle," he emphasized.
After the arrival of the remains of the soldiers in Cuba, the regime attempts to present their deaths as part of an epic feat, despite the fact that they were in Caracas protecting a dictatorship, not defending their homeland or participating in a national cause.
The mission in which U.S. forces captured Maduro revealed something that the Cuban government had denied for years: the direct involvement of Cuban officials in tasks related to the security of the Chavista leadership.
Beyond the official narrative that insists on speaking of external aggression and revolutionary sacrifice, the events reveal the true extent of Cuba's military involvement in Venezuela.
The deceased were not on a humanitarian mission or engaged in civilian work, but were part of a support operation for an allied government's power.
Díaz-Canel used the tribute to the fallen as a platform to reinforce his confrontational discourse with the United States.
He affirmed that Cuba will not make political concessions and that, if attacked, it would respond with the same severity as in historical episodes such as the wars of independence, the Sierra Maestra, Africa, and now Caracas.
In his statement, he asserted that there would be no surrender or understanding under pressure, and that dialogue would only be possible under conditions of equality and mutual respect.
He also accused Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio of leading a regional aggression policy, using language that harkens back to the Cold War.
The leader went further, stating that not even a total offensive could subdue the island, and that even if Cuba were erased from the map, it would continue to symbolically pursue its adversaries.
In that tone, he described the operation against Maduro as an action using fascist methods and stated that the current US administration has ushered in an era of barbarism and plunder.
The message comes after Trump publicly warned that there will be no more oil or money coming from Venezuela to Cuba.
That statement came just days after the capture of Maduro, a blow that leaves the Cuban regime without its main economic and energy support of the last few decades.
Since the times of Hugo Chávez, Havana has received Venezuelan oil in exchange for sending advisors, doctors, and intelligence personnel.
With the fall of Maduro and U.S. control over the transition process, Cuba faces the almost total loss of that support.
In that context, Díaz-Canel's epic discourse aims to rally his supporters amidst an internal crisis characterized by shortages, blackouts, and social discontent.
However, the events in Caracas have revealed a reality that the regime preferred to keep in the shadows: Cuban military personnel were directly integrated into the protective apparatus of the Venezuelan political power, and their deaths did not occur defending Cuba, but rather supporting an authoritarian regime.
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