Cubans rally against US 'imperialists' before Havana embassy

A motorcade transports the Cuban‑flag‑draped urns of soldiers killed in the U.S. strike and the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in Caracas on January 3, as Cuba honors them with a caravan through Havana on January 15, 2026. REUTERS/Norlys Perez

HAVANA, Jan ‌16 (Reuters) - Thousands of Cubans gathered before the U.S. embassy ‌in Havana at daybreak Friday to protest against what they ‌denounced as U.S. aggression in the region following the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicola Maduro, a Cuban ally.

Tension between the two longtime rivals has spiked since ‍the U.S. attack on Venezuela, which resulted ‍in the deaths of ‌32 Cuban military and intelligence officers believed to be defending Maduro ‍were ​killed, marking the first clashes between U.S. and Cuban forces in decades.