Cuba names 32 soldiers who died during U.S. strike in Venezuela

The Communist Party of Cuba said Tuesday that 32 Cuban soldiers were killed during a U.S. military strike in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro.

Cuban authorities said the troops were in the South American country carrying out security- and defense-related missions at the time of the operation.

In a statement, the Cuban government described the deaths as the result of “a new criminal act of aggression and state terrorism” carried out by the United States against what it called its “sister Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.”

According to Granma, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of Cuba, the victims were members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior who were operating in coordination with Venezuelan authorities.

Cuban officials said the families of those killed have been notified and have received messages of condolence from senior government and party leaders.

The government announced two days of national mourning and said official ceremonies will be held to honor the dead, describing the incident as an act of aggression.

Cuba has previously faced accusations of sending intelligence officers and military personnel to Venezuela, sometimes presenting them as part of medical or humanitarian missions in the country.

Identified soldiers, according to the Communist Party of Cuba

Revolutionary Armed Forces

• Capt. Adrián Pérez Beades, 34
• Senior Warrant Officer Suriel Godales Alarcón, 42
• Retired Private Adelkis Ayala Almenares, 45
• Retired Private Alexander Noda Gutiérrez, 48
• Retired Private Ervis Martínez Herrera, 52
• Retired Private Juan Carlos Guerrero Cisneros, 55
• Retired Private Juan David Vargas Vaillant, 54
• Retired Private Rafael Enrique Moreno Font, 35
• Retired Private Luis Alberto Hidalgo Canals, 57
• Retired Private Luis Manuel Jardines Castro, 59
• Retired Private Sandy Amita López, 37

Ministry of the Interior

• Col. Humberto Alfonso Roca Sánchez, 67
• Col. Lázaro Evangelio Rodríguez Rodríguez, 62
• Maj. Rodney Izquierdo Valdés, 51
• Maj. Ismael Terrero Ge, 47
• Maj. Rubiel Cabrera, 53
• Maj. Hernán González Perrera, 43
• Capt. Bismar Mora Aponte, 50
• Capt. Yoel Pérez Tabares, 48
• Capt. Addriel Adrián Socarrás Tamayo, 32
• Lt. Col. Orlando Osoria López, 49
• 1st Lt. Yorlenis Revé Cuza, 38
• 1st Lt. Alejandro Rodríguez Royo, 35
• 1st Lt. Erdwin Rosabal Ávalos, 35
• 1st Lt. Daniel Torralba Díaz, 34
• 1st Lt. Yandrys González Vega, 45
• 1st Lt. Yordanys Marlonis Núñez, 43
• 1st Lt. Yunior Estévez Samón, 32
• Lt. Yasmani Domínguez Cardero, 32
• Lt. Fernando Antonio Báez Hidalgo, 26
• Lt. Yoandys Rojas Pérez, 46
• First Officer Giorki Verdcía García, 30

This story was translated from Spanish with the help of a generative artificial intelligence tool. An NBC 6 editor reviewed the translation.

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