Cuba held a solemn and highly symbolic repatriation ceremony for the remains of 32 Cuban military personnel killed during a U.S. military operation in Venezuela that culminated in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro. The ceremony, held on January 15 at Havana’s José Martí International Airport, drew top Cuban leadership including President Miguel Díaz-Canel and former Revolutionary leader Raúl Castro, underscoring the gravity with which Havana views the loss of its soldiers.

The 32 personnel, who were serving as members of the Cuban armed forces and intelligence services and had been assigned to Maduro’s security detail, were killed during the January 3 U.S. raid in Caracas. Their bodies, draped in Cuban flags, were received by military honors before being transferred in procession toward the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, where thousands of Cubans lined the streets to pay their respects. The government presented the soldiers as heroes who upheld commitments to their nation and its allies amid extraordinary circumstances. 

The ceremony took place against a backdrop of heightened tensions between the United States and Cuba. In recent days President Donald Trump has warned Havana to negotiate or face consequences, including economic measures that could further constrain the island’s already fragile economy. Cuban officials have condemned the U.S. action in Venezuela as aggression, and mass demonstrations — including a planned rally near the U.S. embassy in Havana — have been announced as part of an extended period of national mourning and protest. 

For Cuba’s leadership, the repatriation served both as a tribute to fallen servicemen and as a rallying point for domestic unity. The deaths highlight the deep military and political ties that once bound Havana to Caracas, ties that have been spotlighted and strained by the U.S. operation. The ceremony’s emotional resonance reflects broader regional reactions to the raid and underscores the enduring geopolitical tensions that now define U.S.–Cuban relations in the aftermath of Maduro’s capture.