Venezuela’s Defence Ministry has claimed that nearly 50 Venezuelan soldiers, including nine women, were killed during a US military operation in Caracas earlier this month aimed at abducting President Nicolás Maduro. Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino López said the death toll among Venezuelan forces was revised upward from an initial figure.

According to Venezuelan authorities, the total number of people killed reached 83, including 32 Cuban soldiers who were reportedly part of President Maduro’s security detail. The operation on January 3 allegedly involved air strikes and helicopter landings, during which Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were taken from their residence.

Officials also reported that more than 100 people were injured, while the full extent of civilian casualties is still being assessed. The Venezuelan government described the incident as an act of military aggression and announced plans to build a memorial in honour of those killed, as Cuba separately received the remains of its fallen soldiers.