Venezuela’s Interior Minister, Diosdado Cabello, has said that 100 people lost their lives during the United States military operation that led to the removal of President Nicolas Maduro from power.
The figure marks the first official estimate provided by Caracas, which until now had not disclosed a total casualty count from the attack.
Earlier, the Venezuelan army had released a list containing the names of 23 soldiers confirmed killed in the operation. Authorities in Caracas have also maintained that a significant portion of Maduro’s security detail was killed “in cold blood” during the raid.
Cuba, a close ally of Venezuela, separately announced that 32 of its military and intelligence personnel stationed in the country were among those killed.
Speaking on the developments, Cabello said that regardless of ideological differences or political disagreements, Maduro was fulfilling what he believed to be his duty to govern the nation.
He also revealed that Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, who was detained alongside the former president, sustained a head injury during the US operation, while Maduro himself suffered an injury to his leg.
Following the raid, Venezuela’s interim President, Delcy Rodriguez, declared a week-long period of mourning to honour members of the military who died in the attack. Cabello, during his weekly programme on state television, praised Rodriguez as “courageous” for her leadership in the aftermath of the incident and for standing firm amid the national crisis.
The disclosures add to mounting regional and international concern over the human cost of the operation, as questions continue to swirl around the circumstances of the raid and the full scale of its impact on Venezuela’s political and security landscape.
What you should know
The US raid that removed Nicolas Maduro from power has triggered conflicting accounts and rising tensions across Latin America.
While Venezuelan authorities and allies such as Cuba have released partial casualty figures, independent verification remains difficult. The declaration of mourning by interim President Delcy Rodriguez signals an effort to rally national unity and honour fallen security personnel.
The episode has intensified debates over foreign intervention, sovereignty, and accountability, with the true human toll and long-term political consequences still unfolding.
