Venezuela’s interior minister Diosdado Cabello said late Wednesday that around 100 people were killed in a U.S. military attack that ousted President Nicolás Maduro over the weekend and led to his capture, marking the first official death toll released by Caracas.Cabello said the U.S. assault that removed Maduro from power on Saturday caused significantly higher casualties than previously reported.
Before this announcement, Venezuela had not issued a comprehensive casualty figure, although the army had released a list of 23 soldiers killed. Venezuelan officials also claimed that much of Maduro’s security detail was killed “in cold blood.”
The interior minister also referred to losses among Cuban personnel, with Cuba stating that 32 members of its military and intelligence services were killed, though reported figures have varied.According to Cabello, Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, who was detained alongside him during the raid, suffered a head injury, while Maduro sustained a leg injury.
Both remain in U.S. custody following the operation.On Tuesday, Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez declared a week of national mourning to honor military personnel killed during the raid. Cabello praised Rodríguez as “courageous” during his weekly state television broadcast.
