The Venezuelan Minister of the Interior, Diosdado CabelloIt was stated Wednesday evening that the US attack carried out last weekend in Venezuela had left 100 dead, mentioning for the first time an overall death toll since the operation that led to the capture of the president Nicolás Maduro.
Until now, the authorities in Caracas had not released an official death toll. The Venezuelan army had only published a list of 23 soldiers killed. According to Cabello, a significant portion of the victims belonged to the security detail tasked with protecting Maduro at the time of the raid, which he described as a "cold-blooded" execution.
The official also indicated that Cuban nationals were among the dead, confirming earlier reports from Havana that Cuban military personnel and intelligence agents had died in the operation. Cuba, a long-standing ally of Caracas, denounced the attack as a "military aggression" and an act of "state terrorism."
Cabello also stated that cilia floresMaduro's wife, who was arrested at the same time as him, was reportedly injured in the head during the operation, while the former head of state is said to have suffered a leg injury. US authorities have not commented on these claims.
On Tuesday, the Venezuelan government declared a week of national mourning in tribute to the soldiers killed in the raid. Pro-government marches were organized in Caracas and several other major cities across the country, amid a climate of persistent tension and political uncertainty.
The American attack, announced and claimed by the president Donald Trump, continues to provoke strong international reactions, with several countries and organizations calling for independent investigations into the conduct of the operation and its human toll, while the security and institutional situation in Venezuela remains extremely fragile.
