Venezuela’s Defence Ministry says 83 individuals in complete killed in US assault to abduct President Nicolas Maduro.
9 girls troopers have been amongst 47 Venezuelan troops killed earlier this month when the USA attacked the capital Caracas and kidnapped President Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela’s Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez mentioned.
Revising the variety of Venezuelan forces killed upward from an preliminary report of 23, the defence minister mentioned on Friday {that a} complete of 83 individuals have been killed within the January 3 raid by US forces.
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These killed included 32 Cuban troopers, a few of whom had been assigned to President Maduro’s private safety workforce.
“What have the women and men of our Bolivarian Nationwide Armed Forces achieved within the face of navy aggression? They’ve given their lives, they’ve honoured historical past and the homeland,” Padrino mentioned at a ceremony to honour these killed within the assault.
The minister additionally mentioned {that a} web site might be positioned for the development of a memorial to these killed.
Cuba on Thursday obtained the stays of the 32 troopers it mentioned have been killed in fight within the early hours of January 3.
Greater than 112 individuals have been reported injured within the US raid that started with the bombing of navy targets and culminated with US troops touchdown in helicopters and abducting Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores, from their residence in Caracas.
The total extent of civilian casualties from the US raid has but to be decided by authorities in Venezuela. Inside Minister Diosdado Cabello mentioned earlier this week that consultants wanted to make use of DNA testing to establish victims, as some have been blown to “little items” within the US assault.
Interim President Delcy Rodriguez, who has decreed seven days of mourning for these killed within the US assault, met on Thursday in Caracas with CIA director John Ratcliffe, whose company performed a key function in Maduro’s abduction, The Related Press information company stories.
A US official instructed the AP that Ratcliffe mentioned potential financial collaboration between the 2 international locations and warned that Venezuela can by no means once more permit the presence of US adversaries, together with drug traffickers, on its soil.
‘Emperor of the White Home’
Tens of hundreds of Cubans demonstrated exterior the US embassy in Havana on Friday to decry the killing of the 32 Cuban troopers within the Venezuela assault.
Crowds poured into the open-air Jose Marti Anti-Imperialist plaza throughout from the US diplomatic compound in a rally organised by the Cuban authorities.
The US “is ruled by a president who considers himself an emperor”, mentioned Rene Gonzalez, 64, one of many protesters.
“We should present him that concepts are value greater than weapons,” he mentioned.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel shook palms with protesters earlier than giving a speech wherein he mentioned Washington had “opened the door to an period of barbarism, plunder and neo-fascism”.
“Nobody right here surrenders,” Diaz-Canel mentioned. “The present emperor of the White Home and his notorious secretary of state haven’t stopped threatening me.”
“Cuba doesn’t should make any political concessions, and that may by no means be on the desk for negotiations aimed toward reaching an understanding between Cuba and the USA,” he mentioned.
“It will be important that they perceive this. We are going to all the time be open to dialogue and enhancing relations between our two international locations, however solely on equal phrases and based mostly on mutual respect,” he added.
US President Donald Trump lately demanded that Cuba make a take care of him earlier than it’s “too late”. He didn’t clarify what sort of deal or what would happen past his deadline.
Trump additionally mentioned that Cuba will not stay off Venezuela’s oil reserves, which the US president has repeatedly mentioned now belong to the US.
Havana is extremely depending on Venezuelan oil, and consultants warn that if provides run dry, it may have catastrophic penalties for cash-strapped Cuba, which is already combating extreme energy blackouts and years of US-imposed sanctions.
Friday’s demonstration in Havana was organised a day after tens of hundreds of Cubans gathered on the headquarters of the Ministry of the Armed Forces within the capital to pay their respects to the 32 slain officers as their our bodies arrived from Venezuela.
