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AIBU?

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Original poster

...to ask why nobody is talking about the 32 people killed in the raid on Venezuela?

69 replies

QwertyAtThirty · 05/01/2026 20:47

32 people (largely forming Maduro's security team) were killed when the US attacked Venezuela.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj9r0eyw0jno
Why isnt that part of the discussion about whether the US's actions were justified / were an act of warfare / violated international law? Apart from reports such as the one linked above, it's not mentioned in any of the commentary I've seen or heard about the legality of the event. Is it because they died protecting Maduro and are therefore considered the "bad guys" and accepted by the international community as collateral damage in a way they wouldn't be if they were civilians?

I suppose my AIBU is: AIBU to think the fact that lives were lost warrants a place in the discussion?
YABU = they're not worth mentioning
YANBU = their deaths should form part of the conversation

A firefighters passes by a burnt military vehicle at La Carlota air base in Caracas on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro after launching a "large scale strike" on the South American country.

Thirty-two Cubans killed during US attack on Venezuela

Cuba's president said military and intelligence operatives were providing protection to captured leader Nicolás Maduro.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj9r0eyw0jno

OP posts:
LilyLemonade · 05/01/2026 23:06

I agree, sounds like murder to me.

Weirdoero · 05/01/2026 23:05

scorpiogirly · 05/01/2026 22:18

A non issue considering the benefit to the public.

What’s the public benefit? Honestly I really don’t know much about this at all except America is not Venezuela and that makes me think not their circus, not their monkeys.

notimagain · 05/01/2026 23:01

If the Cubans on the protection detail (that's the rumour) were armed, could legitimately described as combatants and were the first to offer lethal force then it'll all boil down what Rules of Engagement the US Forces were operating under and whether those were lawful in the circumstances.

TBH given everything else that's gone on whilst this might be up for debate here ultimately the reality is the US aren't going to be handing service personnel over to the ICC.

kirbykirby · 05/01/2026 22:58

Why is no-one/mainstream media talking about the massive protests in Iran for the past nine days and all the protestors who've been murdered by the regime in that time?

ColdAsAWitches · 05/01/2026 22:36

Because to a large extent it doesn't really matter. Trump has acted so far beyond the law in what he did that the details are irrelevant. It's like discussing whether an arsonist jaywalked when going to start his fire. It's the end result that is so shocking.

scorpiogirly · 05/01/2026 22:18

A non issue considering the benefit to the public.

Original poster
QwertyAtThirty · 05/01/2026 22:06

DontMowMyMeadow · 05/01/2026 21:38

That's the number of Cubans that died, according to Cuban sources.
Venezuela don't appear to have released any figures on the number of dead. It's hard to believe there were none.

Yes, I was surprised by this too. Trump boasted over and over again on Saturday morning about how no US personnel died in the attack but there's been not a word about whether any Venezualans did. I too struggle to believe that none did.

OP posts:
DierdreDaphne · 05/01/2026 21:45

It was the first thing I wondered when I heard about the attack, and I agree, it seems to be being shamefully overlooked. Even if noone was killed you'd think it would be mentioned, but if as seems pretty likely people did die, it is basically murder isn't it?

Original poster
QwertyAtThirty · 05/01/2026 21:40

SerendipityJane · 05/01/2026 20:51

Were they killed defending themselves ? Or were they just assassinated in cold blood ?

I haven't seen the exact circumstances of their deaths reported anywhere. They're just described as "part of Maduro's security detail" so I assume they died trying to protect him.

OP posts:
lljkk · 05/01/2026 21:40

I've heard about the 32 Cubans several times on radio, and I am generally a news avoider. So basically... they are being talked about. Quite a bit.

Excuse to target Cuba next?

MangaKanga · 05/01/2026 21:39

No one cares about swarthy foreigners murdered.

Just kissing American arse, it seems.

Original poster
QwertyAtThirty · 05/01/2026 21:39

MidnightPatrol · 05/01/2026 20:49

The discussion where?

I broadly think people in the UK don’t care about this beyond ‘WTF is Trump doing, the lunatic’

Anywhere. I listened to LBC for an hour this morning and this afternoon on my commute and it wasn't mentioned, even though this story dominated the discussion. Equally none of the opinion or analysis pieces I've read on the BBC, Guardian, or the NYTimes has mentioned it. People are picking over all the different facets of the story - the oil, the drugs, what does it mean for Denmark, did it breach international law or not, do the ends (removal of a dictator) justify the means (illegal invasion) - but nobody's talking about this element.

OP posts:
DontMowMyMeadow · 05/01/2026 21:38

That's the number of Cubans that died, according to Cuban sources.
Venezuela don't appear to have released any figures on the number of dead. It's hard to believe there were none.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 05/01/2026 20:58

It was inevitable with any hostile action that some people would die - it's their job to be between their employer/leader and an attacking force, the same way that any other leader's protection detail is.

namechange272727 · 05/01/2026 20:58

I agree. I think the whole thing is shocking anyway, but there’s a big difference between US military abduct a head of state without harming anyone and US military kill 32 people to abduct that head of state.

Ifailed · 05/01/2026 20:51

Of course it's terrible, but I doubt if Trump, or most yanks, give a fuck about it.

SerendipityJane · 05/01/2026 20:51

Were they killed defending themselves ? Or were they just assassinated in cold blood ?

IndigoIsMyFavouriteColour · 05/01/2026 20:50

Of course loss of life should be considered

MidnightPatrol · 05/01/2026 20:49

The discussion where?

I broadly think people in the UK don’t care about this beyond ‘WTF is Trump doing, the lunatic’

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