Cuba claims American helicopter shot down during Venezuela raid

President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel asserted that Cuban military personnel displayed extraordinary courage during the recent United States operation in Venezuela, claiming that a Cuban officer struck an American helicopter during the assault on Caracas.

The remarks were made at the March of the Fighting People in Havana, a state‑broadcast event held to honor Cuban soldiers killed in the US action, which resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

Speaking before a crowd in the Cuban capital, Díaz‑Canel said Lieutenant Colonel Jorge Márquez continued firing despite being wounded and successfully engaged an American helicopter. He also highlighted Colonel Evangelio Rodríguez Rodríguez, who, he said, led an effort to rescue fellow soldiers and was fatally wounded by a drone strike.

The Cuban leader emphasized that Cuban forces resisted “despite the enemy’s superiority in both numbers and equipment,” and claimed that even some American officials “had difficulty hiding their admiration” for their bravery.

Cuba has reported that 32 of its soldiers were killed during the US operation in Venezuela, which has significantly heightened tensions between Havana and Washington. The operation, during which Maduro was captured and taken to the United States on drug‑related charges, has also prompted large protests in Cuba and official denunciations of US actions as aggression.

By Vafa Guliyeva