The Cuban government has issued a forceful condemnation of a United States military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, labeling the action a “cowardly” and “barbarian” act of state terrorism that violates international law and threatens regional stability.
Immediate Condemnation from Havana
The incident, which occurred on Saturday, January 2, 2026, sent shockwaves through Havana, where Venezuela is considered a key strategic ally. For ordinary Cubans like Dr. Ifraín Pérez, a 62-year-old physician who served twice on Cuban medical missions in Venezuela, the news was deeply unsettling. “It’s really pretty unpleasant news – for Cuba and the world,” Pérez said late on Saturday, expressing worry for the Venezuelan people. “The most important thing is to achieve stability and that President Nicolás Maduro go back to his nation.”
The Cuban government’s response was swift and unequivocal. In an official statement released on January 3, the Revolutionary Government condemned the U.S. action in the “most energetic terms” and expressed “absolute support and solidarity” with Venezuela. The statement, published by the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, demanded the immediate release of President Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, who were reportedly captured in the operation.
Díaz-Canel and Official Rhetoric
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel convened a meeting on Saturday morning, where he characterized the incident as “an unacceptable, vulgar and barbarian kidnapping.” He further escalated the rhetoric, stating the U.S. attack was an “act of state terrorism, comparable only to the crimes against humanity committed by Israeli Zionism in the Gaza Strip.”
The lengthy official statement framed the operation as a dangerous escalation of a long-standing U.S. campaign against Venezuela, intensified since September 2025 with an “aggressive naval deployment in the Caribbean Sea.” It accused the United States of pursuing imperialist goals anchored in the Monroe Doctrine, aiming for unrestricted access to Venezuela’s natural resources and the subordination of Latin American governments.
Regional and International Repercussions
Cuba positioned the event as a direct assault on regional peace, referencing the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, signed by regional governments in Havana in 2014. The statement warned that “the threat hangs over all” nations in the region and called on the international community to condemn the action and prevent it from going unpunished.
The capture of Maduro represents a significant geopolitical blow to Cuba, which has relied on Venezuela for years as a primary source of subsidized oil, crucial for alleviating its own chronic fuel shortagesand blackouts. The loss of this key ally comes amid a Trump government warning to Havana, further tightening pressure on the island nation.
The Cuban government concluded its statement with a rallying cry, asserting its “firm and unshakable” determination to fight. “The decision is only one: Homeland or Death,” it declared. “We will win!”
