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US forces conducted a daring raid, resulting in the deaths of 55 Venezuelan and Cuban military personnel, according to reports from Caracas and Havana on Tuesday. Venezuela’s military confirmed that 23 of its service members lost their lives in Saturday’s attack, which led to the removal of Nicolás Maduro from power. The country has yet to release an official count of civilian casualties.
Cuba, which had already announced that 32 armed forces members and interior ministry security personnel stationed in Caracas had been killed, confirmed its casualties. The victims ranged in age from 26 to 67, including two colonels and a lieutenant colonel. Many of the deceased Cubans are believed to have been part of Maduro’s security detail, which was nearly wiped out during the assault, according to Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez.
The operation began with airstrikes targeting military installations, culminating in U.S. special forces helicoptering into the compound to seize Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. They were later transported to New York, where they appeared in court Monday and pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and other charges.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called Tuesday for the U.S. to ensure Maduro receives a “fair trial.”
Just hours after their court appearance, Maduro’s former deputy, Delcy Rodriguez, was sworn in as interim president. President Donald Trump indicated willingness to work with her, provided she agrees to his conditions for U.S. access to Venezuela’s large oil reserves. Rodriguez faces the difficult task of balancing these demands while maintaining loyalty from Maduro supporters.
She has moved to display unity with hardcore Maduro loyalists, who control security forces and paramilitary groups that have been patrolling the streets since Maduro’s arrest. Despite the transition, reports from a journalists’ union indicate that 14 foreign media journalists covering the presidential inauguration at parliament were detained but later released. Two other foreign journalists were detained near the Colombian border.
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who has been excluded from the transition process by Washington, criticized Rodriguez in an interview with Fox News. She accused Rodriguez of being involved in torture, persecution, corruption, and drug trafficking, asserting she’s a key ally of Russia, China, and Iran, and stating she shouldn’t be trusted by international investors.
While Trump has supported Rodriguez, he warned she would face severe consequences if she failed to follow U.S. policies. Currently, she has maintained Maduro’s cabinet, with Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez—widely seen as the true power brokers—remaining in their positions.
A former military officer predicted Rodriguez might open Venezuela’s oil and mining sectors to U.S. corporations and possibly restore diplomatic ties severed by Maduro in 2019. He also suggested she might release political prisoners to quell international criticism over human rights abuses.
Trump described Maduro as a “violent guy” who “killed millions of people” and engaged in torture. He claimed the country has a torture chamber in Caracas, which is being shut down.
The Venezuelan constitution mandates that after Maduro is officially declared absent, elections must be held within 30 days. Machado expressed confidence in winning those elections, claiming a “victory of over 90%” if they’re free and fair. She envisions transforming Venezuela into the energy hub of the Americas, dismantling criminal networks, and repatriating millions of Venezuelans who have fled the country.
Machado even offered to give her Nobel Peace Prize—an award long sought by Trump—as a gesture to the U.S. president. However, she stated she hasn’t spoken with him since October 10.
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