Building on Cuba's initial condemnation of the US military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the Cuban mission in Ecuador held a tribute on January 6 to 32 island fighters killed in the raid, reaffirming solidarity amid global backlash.
In Quito on January 6, 2026, the Cuban diplomatic mission in Ecuador honored the 32 Cuban fighters who died during the US Army Delta Force raid on Venezuela's presidential palace in Caracas on January 3. The operation resulted in Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores' capture, with Venezuelan officials reporting at least 80 deaths total.
Maduro, appearing before the Southern District Court of New York, declared himself a 'prisoner of war' captured in his home and pleaded not guilty alongside Flores to charges of narcoterrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation, and weapons possession. Their lawyer called it an 'illegal military kidnapping' breaching international law.
The Quito ceremony highlighted Cuba's ongoing solidarity with Venezuela, following Havana's earlier denunciation of the action as a sovereignty violation. It drew international condemnation, including UN Secretary-General António Guterres' warning of a 'dangerous precedent.' In the US, protests demanded Maduro's release with anti-imperialist chants. Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as interim president, shifting from strong condemnation to a conciliatory tone.
