In a dramatic turn of events shaking the political landscape of Latin America, Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodríguez a week of national mourning on Tuesday. This announcement followed the swift US military operation in Caracas that resulted in the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro and his immediate transfer to the United States, an event Venezuelan authorities have denounced as a blatant attack on national sovereignty.
In a televised address on Venezuelan state television, marked by both sorrow and defiance, Rodríguez declared, "I have decided to declare seven days of national mourning, in honor of the young men, women, and children who sacrificed their lives defending Venezuela and President Nicolás Maduro." The acting president confirmed that flags would be flown at half-staff on all public buildings, emphasizing that "the blood of the martyrs" would serve as a catalyst for resistance against what she termed imperialism.
A bloody toll and shared losses
Regarding casualties, official figures released by the Venezuelan and Cuban governments revealed that 55 members of the two countries' armed forces were killed, indicating the involvement of Cuban units in the defense of the presidential palace during the attack. Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab spoke of dozens of deaths among both civilians and military personnel, describing the attack as a "massacre." While a final and accurate count of civilian casualties is unavailable, medical and local sources estimated the number to be between 70 and 80, killed in the fierce clashes that accompanied the landing and arrest operation.
Background of the conflict and geopolitical influences
This momentous event cannot be separated from the context of the long-standing historical tension between Washington and Caracas. For years, the United States has imposed crippling economic sanctions on Venezuela, and the US Department of Justice has previously indicted Nicolás Maduro and other officials for involvement in "narco-terrorism," offering substantial financial rewards for information leading to their capture. This attack represents the culmination of the "maximum pressure" policy pursued by successive US administrations, shifting the conflict from the economic and diplomatic arena to direct military confrontation.
Observers believe that Maduro's arrest and the installation of Delcy Rodríguez as interim president will usher in a period of uncertainty in Venezuela. On the one hand, this power vacuum (from the ruling party's perspective) could lead to widespread internal unrest. On the other hand, it could ignite a regional crisis, especially given the involvement of Cuban forces and the casualties among them, which could provoke a range of international reactions, from those supporting the US move to those opposing it as a violation of international law.
