By Micah Jonah
January 17, 2026
Venezuela’s Defence Minister, Vladimir Padrino has said that 47 Venezuelan soldiers were killed during the recent United States attack on Caracas, the capture of President Nicolas Maduro earlier this month, adding that nine of those killed were women.
Padrino disclosed the figure on Friday, providing the first official breakdown of military casualties from the assault, which marked a dramatic escalation in the crisis between Washington and Caracas.
The announcement came after Cuba said on Thursday that it had received the remains of 32 of its soldiers who were killed in combat during the early hours of January 3. Havana said its personnel were operating in support roles when the fighting broke out.
Venezuela’s Interior Minister had previously stated last week that about 100 people were killed during the attack, but did not specify how many of them were members of the armed forces or civilians.
The United States has not released official casualty figures or detailed accounts of the operation, which led to the detention of Maduro and the collapse of his government’s control over key institutions in the capital.
Regional reactions remain sharply divided, with allies of Venezuela condemning the attack as a violation of sovereignty, while Washington has defended the action as necessary to restore democracy and stability after years of political and economic turmoil.
The situation in Venezuela remains volatile, with sporadic clashes reported in some regions and uncertainty over the formation of a transitional authority as international negotiations continue.
