In a solemn ceremony marked by revolutionary fervor, Cuba welcomed home the remains of 32 military personnel who perished during duty in Venezuela. Army Corps General Lázaro Alberto Álvarez Casas, Political Bureau member and Minister of the Interior, delivered an emotionally charged address honoring the fallen combatants while delivering a stark message against imperialism.
The ceremony, attended by grieving family members and government officials, transformed mourning into a powerful display of nationalist pride. General Álvarez Casas framed the soldiers’ deaths not as tragedy but as heroic sacrifice, emphasizing that they “fell fighting and ascended forever into history” while defending Cuba’s internationalist principles.
Drawing direct parallels to historical struggles, the Minister connected the fallen soldiers to Cuba’s revolutionary legacy—from the mambises independence fighters to the barbudos of the Sierra Maestra and internationalist combatants across Latin America. He explicitly characterized the January 3 incident in Venezuela as “aggression and treacherous attacks,” though specific operational details remained undisclosed.
The address contained significant political messaging, asserting that Venezuela represents “a natural extension of the homeland” and invoking the symbolic unity of revolutionary figures Simón Bolívar, José Martí, Hugo Chávez, and Fidel Castro. General Álvarez Casas made clear that Cuba maintains unwavering commitment to its overseas missions despite losses, stating emphatically: “Cuba does not abandon its children. Cuba does not renounce its principles.
In direct confrontation with geopolitical adversaries, the Minister contrasted enemy claims of “high-precision operations and elite troops” with Cuba’s narrative of human sacrifice and familial loss. The speech culminated with a reaffirmation of revolutionary values over material wealth, declaring that imperialism “will never be able to buy the dignity of the Cuban people.”
The ceremony established the fallen soldiers as permanent national symbols, with General Álvarez Casas promising they would “continue to march at the forefront of every battle” and inspire future generations of revolutionaries.