CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela’s armed forces conducted a solemn state funeral ceremony on Wednesday for military personnel killed during a U.S. military operation that resulted in the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro. The emotionally charged proceedings unfolded at a public cemetery in southern Caracas, where uniformed personnel carried flag-draped caskets past formations of grieving comrades and family members.
The atmospheric scene featured traditional military honors, with orchestral music accompanying the procession and ceremonial gunfire echoing across the burial grounds. Earlier wakes had seen distraught relatives embracing coffins containing their loved ones, their mourning observed by armed National Guard members providing security throughout the proceedings.
According to Venezuelan military officials, at least 24 security force members perished during the nighttime U.S. operation that extracted Maduro to face narcotics charges in the United States. In a significant regional development, Cuba separately acknowledged the loss of 32 military and police advisors stationed in Venezuela, declaring two days of national mourning.
Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab characterized the incident as a ‘war crime’ involving dozens of military and civilian casualties, promising full investigations into the circumstances surrounding the deaths. The Venezuelan military issued an official statement vowing to ‘rescue our legitimate President’ and prevent future violations of national sovereignty, emphasizing that the fallen soldiers’ sacrifice ‘reaffirms our unwavering oath’ to protect the nation.
The geopolitical implications continue to develop as regional powers assess the extraordinary intervention and its consequences for international relations in the Western Hemisphere.