Venezuela’s government has released a grim estimate of casualties from the recent U.S. military operation that toppled President Nicolás Maduro and led to his capture. Diosdado Cabello, the country’s interior minister, said late Wednesday that about 100 people lost their lives during the attack, and many more were wounded. This is the first time Caracas has publicly shared an overall figure since the events unfolded.
The death toll reflects the heavy human cost of what has become one of the most dramatic and controversial chapters in Venezuela’s long political crisis. The army has already posted the names of at least 23 of its own soldiers who died during the assault, and Cuban officials reported that 32 of their military and intelligence personnel stationed in Venezuela were also killed.
Cabello described the deaths as the result of a “terrible attack” and insisted that Venezuela would not bow to outside pressure. He spoke about the injuries sustained by Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who was detained alongside him. Flores suffered a head injury, while Maduro was hurt in the leg. Both are reportedly recovering.
In response to the casualties, interim leader Delcy Rodríguez declared a week of mourning across the country to honor military personnel who died. State media have been broadcasting scenes of memorials, flag-draped coffins and tributes to the fallen in Caracas.
The U.S. government has not released its own casualty figures, and independent verification of the numbers remains scarce. What is clear is that the fallout from the operation has sent shockwaves through Venezuela and beyond, raising urgent questions about the human cost and the wider regional implications of foreign involvement in Venezuela’s leadership crisis.
