Widow of Cuban Colonel Killed in Venezuela: "He Died the Way He Wanted"

The widow of Colonel Orlando Osoria López, a Cuban military officer who died in Caracas during the operation to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro on January 3, expressed on television that he passed away in the manner he desired.

"I don't know how to put into words what I'm feeling," she began during the interview.

Osoria López, aged 49, hailed from Baire, a town in the Contramaestre municipality of Santiago de Cuba. He graduated in Tactical Command of Special Troops at the Special Troops Cadet School of the FAR.

He lived in Jagüey Grande, Matanzas, and was a father and grandfather to a granddaughter just over a year old.

"The only thing I can say is that he died the way he wanted. He was always very forward-thinking, never backing down," the widow emphasized.

At the time of his death, Osoria López was part of the Personal Security Directorate, responsible for escorting government officials.

His role within this structure confirms what the regime has been denying for years: Cuban military personnel were not on a symbolic or secondary mission in Caracas but were directly involved in safeguarding the Chavista political power.

His wife continued to praise his combative nature. "I'm sure he was one of the ones who fought back the most there. (...) He was fearless," she asserted.

Despite her sorrow, she reiterated her pride: "I am proud of him. Proud, even though it pains me to have lost him."

The official narrative portrays Osoria López and the other fallen soldiers as heroes. However, facts emerging from testimonies paint a different picture: these military personnel were in Caracas protecting Nicolás Maduro's political power, not defending Cuba or a humanitarian cause, but supporting a foreign regime.

The Account of Another Colonel Injured in Caracas

This week, Colonel Pedro Yadín Domínguez, injured during the January 3 operation in Caracas, broke his silence on Cuban state television. He confirmed he was in Venezuela "on a mission" when the attack occurred.

According to his account, he and other Cuban military personnel were caught off guard by a large-scale aerial operation while resting. "The attack resulted in the death of 11 comrades," he recounted, describing it as a "totally disproportionate" offensive.

Domínguez asserted that the group had minimal weaponry and their role was to support presidential security. "We barely had any armament," he explained.

The officer was injured and underwent surgery in a Venezuelan military hospital, receiving care from local armed forces.

Although the official report labeled the operation as an "imperialist aggression," Domínguez's testimony clarifies that the Cubans were directly involved in ensuring the Venezuelan president's security.

Beyond the Epic Narratives

While state television glorifies the epic, the testimonies provide insights that the regime often handles with extreme caution. The account of the injured colonel confirms that Cuban officers were directly engaged in the security of Venezuelan political power.

This was not merely advisory or symbolic cooperation. Cuba's presence in Venezuela was operational, tied to protecting Nicolás Maduro's regime amidst deep crisis. The deaths occurred not defending Cuba or its people but in a foreign setting, supporting an external government.

In this context, the widow's statement—"he died the way he wanted"—resides between two dimensions: the personal, legitimate one of a woman defending her husband's memory, and the political, where this death is integrated into a narrative seeking to portray as heroic an intervention that, in reality, protected a dictator.

The deaths of Cuban military personnel in Caracas reveal the extent of Havana's military commitment to Chavismo and how decisions made away from the island continue to claim Cuban lives.