Venezuela’s military held a mass funeral in Caracas on Wednesday for dozens of soldiers killed during a U.S. operation that captured former President Nicolás Maduro over the weekend.
Rows of uniformed officers stood solemnly as caskets draped in the Venezuelan flag were carried through the capital. The ceremony, held at a state-owned cemetery in a low-income southern neighborhood, was marked by military hymns, orchestral music, and the echoing salute of rifle fire. Grieving family members wept beside the coffins during a wake earlier in the day.
Defense officials confirmed that at least 24 Venezuelan security personnel were killed in the pre-dawn raid, which extracted Maduro to face drug-related charges in the United States. Venezuela’s Attorney General, Tarek William Saab, described the operation as a “war crime” and announced an investigation into the deaths of “dozens” of officers and civilians, without specifying exact numbers.
In a related statement, Cuba’s government reported that 32 of its military and police advisors stationed in Venezuela also died in the operation, prompting two days of national mourning on the island.
In a social media post, the Venezuelan military vowed, “Their spilled blood does not cry out for vengeance, but for justice and strength,” adding a commitment to “rescue our legitimate President” and prevent future violations of Venezuelan sovereignty.
The funeral comes amid heightened regional tensions following Maduro’s capture, with Venezuelan authorities continuing to denounce the U.S. military action as a violation of international law.
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