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Cuba on Sunday (local time) announced that 32 of its citizens were killed during the United States military operation in Venezuela that led to the capture of deposed Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife in the capital, Caracas.
The Cuban government said it would observe two days of national mourning on January 5 and January 6 to honour those killed in the operation. Officials in Havana said funeral arrangements would be announced at a later stage. Cuba's state-run news agency Prensa Latina said the deceased were Cuban military personnel who had been deployed in Venezuela on official missions. According to the report, they were operating at the request of the Venezuelan government when the US-led operation took place. The Cuban personnel were killed either during direct clashes with attacking forces or as a result of air strikes on military facilities. It added that they offered resistance before being killed, Al Jazeera reported. Cuba has been a close ally of Venezuela for several years and has deployed military and police personnel in the country to support the government of deposed dictator Nicolas Maduro. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump also issued a warning to Cuba on Sunday, saying he believed the Cuban government was close to collapse. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said Cuba had lost a major source of income following US operation in Venezuela. "Cuba is ready to fall. Cuba looks like it's ready to fall," Trump said. "They got all of their income from Venezuela, from the Venezuelan oil. They're not getting any of it now." Trump also issued warnings directed at Colombia, Cuba, Mexico and Denmark in a single day. Following the operation in Venezuela, Maduro and his wife were flown to New York by US authorities. The 63-year-old deposed dictator is expected to appear before a US court on Monday to face drug-related charges. Maduro has repeatedly denied any involvement in criminal activities. Images showing Maduro blindfolded and handcuffed while being escorted by US forces have circulated widely on social media and shocked many people across Venezuela. Venezuela's Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez strongly condemned the arrest, describing it as a "kidnapping" and demanding the immediate release of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, according to local media reports. The New York Times, citing a Venezuelan official, reported that at least 40 people may have been killed during the US operation. Washington described the action as a "large-scale strike" against Venezuela. US officials said Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of the country during the operation. Earlier, Trump told Fox News that there were only a few injuries and no deaths on the US side. He praised the US armed forces for carrying out what he described as a complex and highly professional operation. "It was amazing to see the professionalism and the quality of leadership," Trump said. "To have a few injuries, but no deaths on our side, is really amazing, " said Trump. (ANI)
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