'Painful page in history' - Cubans hold ceremony for soldiers killed in Venezuela attack

Cuba repatriates and honors the remains of 32 military personnel killed during a U.S. attack linked to Venezuela, drawing large crowds and official mourning in Havana.

Reuters

15 January 2026 at 14:50:39

'Painful page in history' - Cubans hold ceremony for soldiers killed in Venezuela attack

A 3D printed miniature of U.S. President Donald Trump and Cuban flag are seen in this illustration taken January 9, 2026.

Dado Ruvic/Reuters

Cuba received on Thursday (January 15) the remains of its soldiers who died in combat during the United States attack on Venezuela to remove President Nicolas Maduro.

In a ceremony paying tribute to the island's military personnel considered 'heroes', Minister of the Interior Major General Lazaro Alberto Alvarez, remarked on the United States' displays of wealth and power, and said the 'dignity of the Cuban people' cannot be bought.

The ceremony ended with a convoy headed to the headquarters of the Ministry of the Armed Forces, in Havana, where Cubans will be able to pay tribute to the combatants until 6 p.m. local time (23:00 GMT).

The remains of the 32 fallen soldiers—whom Havana says were members of Cuba's armed forces and intelligence agencies—arrived at Havana's international airport at dawn on Thursday.

A military band, dressed in olive-green uniforms and positioned around Cuban flags, played the national anthem on the tarmac in a solemn ceremony led by Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, leader Raúl Castro, and senior military commanders.

Production: Anna Portella/Reuters