The president in charge of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, affirmed this Thursday that in her country “no one surrendered” and “there was combat” during the United States operation last Saturday against Caracas and three neighboring states and that ended with the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
“The people of Venezuela never thought they would be victims of aggression of this nature. I speak to the people of the United States: the people of Venezuela did not deserve this vile, warlike aggression from a nuclear power,” Rodríguez said.
The president in charge also expressed her loyalty to Maduro, detained in New York and accused of drug trafficking, among other charges: “We have commitment and loyalty to President Nicolás Maduro, who has been kidnapped, we have loyalty to the first combatant, deputy Cilia Flores, and we have committed not to rest until we see them free back home and back to their homeland,” she expressed.
Rodríguez led, at the Bolivarian National Guard Academy (GNB), an act in tribute to the soldiers, both Venezuelan and Cuban, who died during the US attacks in the Venezuelan capital, including in the Fuerte Tiuna military complex, and in Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira.
The country is not subordinated
During the ceremony, which included the participation of the Cuban Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodríguez, the president pointed out that the lives of these soldiers “were taken in a vile attack (…) unequal, unilateral, illegal and illegitimate.”
The Chavista asserted that in the country they are not “subordinated or subjected,” but rather have, she said, “historical dignity,” which is why she asked for “honor and glory to the men and women who died in combat.”
“Here no one surrendered, here there was combat and there was combat for this country and there was combat for the liberators, (…) for our Liberator Simón Bolívar, there was combat for (Hugo) Chávez, and here there was combat for Venezuela, this is our greatest satisfaction,” he added.
The Venezuelan government has spoken of at least 100 deaths during the attack. Previously, the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) reported the death of 24 soldiers and paid tribute to them at a funeral last week.
On Sunday, Cuba reported that 32 of its soldiers stationed in Venezuela died in “combative actions” during the operation.
The Venezuelan National Assembly, with a Chavista majority, declared the victims “heroes and martyrs” this Thursday.
Hours earlier, the attorney general, Tarek William Saab, had announced that three Public Ministry officials had been appointed to investigate what he estimated to be “dozens” of deaths.
