On January 3, 2026, the US military operation against Venezuela resulted in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores.
Dozens of Venezuelan and allied military personnel were killed during the assault on Caracas, among them many Cubans.
The mortal remains of the Cuban soldiers returned not in coffins, but in urns, leaving us wondering what firepower the Americans used in their mission to capture Maduro and Flores.
IMAGE: Members of Cuba's military honour guard carry Cuban‑flag‑draped urns containing the remains of soldiers killed in the US strike during their funeral at Colon cemetery in Havana, Cuba, January 16, 2026, here and below. Photograph: Norlys Perez/Reuters
Photograph: Adalberto Roque/Pool via Reuters
Photograph: Norlys Perez/Reuters
IMAGE: Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces Alvaro Lopez Miera, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and Minister of the Interior Lazaro Alberto Alvarez Casas salute during the funeral for Cuban soldiers. Photograph: Norlys Perez/Reuters
IMAGE: A soldier waits to pay his respects to soldiers killed in Caracas. Photograph: Norlys Perez/Reuters
IMAGE: Military personnel queue to pay their respects to soldiers killed in Venuzuela. Photograph: Norlys Perez/Reuters
IMAGE: President Miguel Diaz-Canel during the funeral. Photograph: Adalberto Roque/Pool via Reuters
IMAGE: Relatives of the slain soldiers during their funeral, here and below. Photograph: Adalberto Roque/Pool via Reuters
Photograph: Adalberto Roque/Pool via Reuters
Photograph: Norlys Perez/Reuters
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
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