On Wednesday, the Venezuelan military held a funeral for the dozens of its soldiers who were killed by the US attack on Caracas that led to the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
At least 24 Venezuelan security personnel were killed in the US attack, and Cuba has confirmed that 32 of its troops were killed while attempting to defend Maduro. Civilians were also killed in the attack, but at this point it’s unclear how many.
“Their spilled blood does not cry out for vengeance, but for justice and strength,” the Venezuelan military said in a statement on Monday. “It reaffirms our unwavering oath not to rest until we rescue our legitimate President, completely dismantle the terrorist groups operating from abroad, and ensure that events such as these never again sully our sovereign soil.”
The US military has said that about 200 US troops took part in the raid and seven were injured, with two still recovering from their wounds. The attack involved heavy airstrikes before sending in a Delta Force team to kidnap Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who was injured in the attack.
Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said Wednesday that at least 100 people were killed by the US attack. US officials have said they assessed that about 75 people were killed in the attack, including dozens who were killed during a gun battle at the presidential compound, where US troops were wounded.
One of the US airstrikes hit an apartment building and killed an 80-year-old woman, Rosa Elena Gonzalez, who was buried on Monday. “She was a very simple woman, very well mannered, an impeccable woman, good, kind,” her brother, Jose Luis Gonzalez, told Reuters.
“It caught us all by surprise. We never thought things would happen like this in this way,” Gonzalez added. A second person was severely injured by the US strike that killed Gonzalez.
