The Cuban ambassador to Caracas, Jorge Mayo, on Sunday commemorated the 32 Cuban combatants who died in combat on January 3 in Venezuela, giving their lives in defense of the constitutional president, Nicolás Maduro.

At an event at the Cuban embassy in this capital, held in protest against its siege during the attempted coup against Commander Hugo Chávez on April 11, 2002, the diplomat drew a parallel between the courage shown by the men and women of the Cuban State Mission 24 years ago and that of these heroes.

He recalled how, just hours after the victory of the Chavista people on April 13, authorities from the Bolivarian Government, including Aristóbulo Istúriz, Adán Chávez, and other high-ranking leaders of the Revolution, visited the diplomatic headquarters—a gesture that, he said, “we value immensely.”

Mayo affirmed, with complete certainty, that the same revolutionary, internationalist spirit and profound ideological conviction that made that dignified resistance possible is “the same spirit that our colleagues at the Cuban Embassy in Venezuela have today.”

He also mentioned the hundreds of thousands of collaborators who have served and continue to serve in this country.

The Cuban ambassador emphasized that when it comes to expressing gratitude, much should be reciprocated for those hours when, in addition to “giving thanks and defending the dignity of our homeland, we were also defending a Bolivarian, Martí-inspired, Chavista, and revolutionary bastion.”

He emphasized that this sentiment remains intact 24 years later, as demonstrated by the 32 Cuban combatants who, “with dignity and the same revolutionary convictions, defended the life of the President and the Bolivarian Revolution, even at the cost of their own lives.”

The First Vice President of the National Assembly (parliament), Pedro Infante, recalled the causes that motivated the attempted coup of April 11, which was centered on the transformations implemented by Chávez to prioritize the allocation of resources for the benefit of the people.

He stated that on that date, “fascism manifested as violence” was evident, and he acknowledged the dignity of the Cuban people and the embassy staff during those fateful days, when the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, directed the actions from Havana.

Infante called for remembering the history of more than two decades ago and maintaining solidarity between nations, for which “we owe a great debt of gratitude to Cuba and Fidel,” while also praising the courage and bravery of the Cuban people who “never surrender.”

Also participating in the commemoration were Tania Díaz, Secretary of International Affairs for the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, and Blanca Eekhout, President of the Simón Bolívar Institute for Peace and Solidarity Among Peoples.

National and state legislators, representatives of the Venezuela-Cuba Mutual Friendship and Solidarity Movement, Edgardo Ramírez, former Venezuelan Ambassador to Havana, and members of the Cuban State Mission, among others, were also in attendance.