…Demands End To U.S. Sanctions After Caracas Incident
A NIGERIAN coalition has issued a strong condemnation of the United States following the reported killing of thirty-two Cuban personnel in Caracas, Venezuela, earlier this month.
The Nigeria Movement of Solidarity with Cuba (NMSC), comprising major labour centres, civil society organisations, and intellectuals, expressed its condolences to the Cuban people in a press statement dated January 10, 2026.
According to the statement, the Cubans were killed on January 3, 2026, while defending Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, his wife Cilia Flores, and Venezuelan sovereignty.
The NMSC described the incident as a confrontation with a superior force, alleging the involvement of 150 invading aircraft and U.S. soldiers.
The group praised the Cubans’ refusal to surrender, quoting Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata: “It is better to die on your feet than live on your knees.”
The statement, signed by Owei Lakemfa, drew historical parallels to underscore Cuba’s tradition of internationalist sacrifice. It referenced the 1983 U.S.-led invasion of Grenada, where it claimed twenty-five Cuban construction workers were killed and hundreds captured at Point Salines airport.
It also highlighted Cuba’s military role in Southern Africa during the 1980s, crediting Cuban forces with helping to liberate Angola, Namibia, and ultimately South Africa from apartheid.
Beyond military engagements, the NMSC lauded Cuba’s humanitarian contributions, particularly its global medical brigades.
The group noted that during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cuba was the only nation to accept the stricken British cruise ship MS Braemar and sent thousands of health professionals abroad, including to Nigeria.
The press release contained several demands, including a call on the U.S. government to “free President Maduro and his wife” and to respect international law by ending its “invasion of countries and territories.”
It also aligned itself with the annual United Nations General Assembly vote demanding the end of the U.S. economic embargo against Cuba, further demanding the lifting of U.S. sanctions against Venezuela and all other nations.
NMSC concluded a universal plea: “Humanity deserves peace, progress and development not a cycle of conflicts, retrogression and general underdevelopment.”
