The names, ranks, and ages of 32 Cuban military personnel who died during the capture of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces were published Tuesday amid the two-day national mourning period declared by authorities in their honor.
Among the deceased are colonels, lieutenants, majors, and captains, as well as some reserve soldiers, ranging in age from 26 to 60. The service members belonged to the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior, the island’s two security agencies. The publication did not specify their missions.
The faces and information of all of them—dressed in their olive-green military uniforms—were published on the Facebook page of journalist Lázaro Alonso, who often serves as an official government spokesperson.
On Sunday, in a statement, Cuban authorities acknowledged the deaths of the personnel who were in the South American nation as part of agreements between the two countries.
“Our compatriots fulfilled their duty with dignity and heroism, falling after fierce resistance in direct combat against the attackers, or as a result of the bombing of the facilities,” the official statement indicated.
Furthermore, a presidential decree established two days of national mourning—Monday and Tuesday—with flags at half-mast and the cancellation of shows and festive events.
Top-tier economic and political allies, Cuba and Venezuela have agreements in all areas, from energy, with the sale of subsidized oil to the island since 2000, to security, but the extent of military or advisory exchanges has rarely been reported.
