Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel revealed through state media that the victims were officers of the country's armed forces or interior ministry who were on the mission at Venezuela's request. — Our compatriots fulfilled their duty with dignity and heroism. They died after fierce resistance, in direct combat with attackers or as a result of bombings, Díaz-Canel said. He announced two days of national mourning.
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How many Cubans died in the US attack?
What position did the President of Cuba take on this matter?
What mission did the Cuban officers fulfill?
What did the US Secretary of State say about future actions towards Cuba?
Not only Venezuelans were to die in the US attack
The New York Times notes that the Cuban leader's words are true an extraordinary public admission by Cuba — whose left-wing government has deep, long-standing ties to the government of Venezuela — that its agents are in that country.
For years, Cuba has been sending thousands of its citizens to Venezuela in exchange for oil. Many of them are teachers and doctors, but they also include intelligence agents and security officers.
The newspaper recalls the December reports that the president of Venezuela faced growing military pressure from the United States Nicolas Maduro has expanded the role of Cuban bodyguards in his personal protection and deployed more Cuban counterintelligence agents in the Venezuelan armed forces. In fact, it was about protecting against a coup d'état.
Now it seems that some of these Cubans may have been killed when American forces entered Caracas on Saturday. Venezuela reported on Sunday that the initial death toll was 80.
USA: Cuba will be our next target, they are in big trouble
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio referred to possible actions against Cuba during an interview on NBC's “Meet the Press” on Sunday. When asked, whether the Cuban regime will be the next US “target”, Rubio replied that it is a “big problem”. When asked if his answer meant “yes”, he confirmed.
— I think they are in big trouble (…) I will not tell you what our steps will be in the future and what our policy is at the moment. But I don't think it's a big secret that we're not big fans of the Cuban regime Rubio said.
On Saturday, the Secretary of State, the son of Cuban refugees, together with US President Donald Trump, warned the Cuban authorities allied with Venezuela. Rubio said that if he were in the shoes of the Maduro-friendly regime in Cuba, “he would be concerned, to say the least.”
Trump said Cuba was 'not doing very well' and the Cuban people have been suffering from this for many years.
— I think Cuba will be the topic we will talk about, because Cuba is currently a failing country, very failing, and we want to help these people. It's very similar [do Wenezueli] in the sense that we want to help people in Cuba, but we also want to help people who were forced to leave Cuba and live in this country, he announced.
