Delcy Rodríguez Celebrates Fallen in Operation Against Maduro: "Here, No One Surrendered, There Was Combat!"

Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, delivered a fervent speech during a tribute to the military personnel who perished on January 3rd. Her address praised the armed resistance of the Chavismo movement against a U.S. operation that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro.

Speaking before the families of the Venezuelans who died in the assault, which also claimed the lives of 32 Cuban fighters, Rodríguez declared, "Honor and glory to the men and women who fell in battle. Here, no one surrendered; there was combat… for Venezuela. That is our greatest satisfaction and our answer."

During her speech, the leader emphasized that "all of Venezuela has rejected this blatant violation of our sovereignty" and announced plans to construct a monument to honor those who "did not yield to foreign aggression."

Rodríguez reiterated that "weapons are to protect the Republic" and asserted that the nation will continue to present itself to the world with an "unbreakable spirit" against any attempts at subjugation.

She also reaffirmed her loyalty to Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, referring to them once again as "kidnapped" and vowed not to rest "until they are free, back home, and back in their homeland."

With these statements, Rodríguez reinforced her alignment with a dictator indicted by U.S. authorities for drug trafficking, at a time when both national and international sectors are suggesting Venezuela might be on the verge of a path towards democracy.

In her tribute, Delcy stated that the Cuban and Venezuelan soldiers who died during the U.S. attack should be considered "heroes and heroines of the nation."

"The brothers from Cuba, sons of Martí and Fidel, are also heroes and heroines of the nation, as they fought as one people in defense against the illegal and illegitimate aggression," she added.

Days earlier, Cuba revealed the identities of the 32 Cubans killed during the U.S. attack on Venezuela, noting they were members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior.

The government stated they were "fulfilling missions at the request of Venezuela's counterpart agencies," which marked an official acknowledgment of the Cuban military presence in the Andean country, a reality Havana had denied for years.

The glorification of Chavismo's armed resistance and the veneration of the fallen starkly contrasts with the growing debate about the need for a democratic transition to end years of authoritarianism, economic crisis, and international isolation.

As part of this symbolic gesture, Rodríguez announced the establishment of a commission to provide comprehensive support to the families of the deceased fighters, alongside the construction of a commemorative monument.

These measures aim to institutionalize the memory of the deceased and cement the narrative of "heroes and martyrs" that the regime promotes to maintain its legitimacy.

The event was attended by the leadership of Venezuela's interim government and Cuba's foreign minister, Bruno Rodríguez, highlighting the enduring strategic bond between Caracas and Havana.

In this context, Rodríguez's speech not only glorifies the fallen but also seeks to strengthen the political alliance between the two regimes, as her country faces the challenge of a new scenario: the genuine possibility of Venezuela embarking on a path of institutional reconstruction and a return to democracy after the fall of a dictatorship accused of severe crimes and drug trafficking.