Russian Minister Honors Cubans Fallen in Venezuela

Russian Interior Minister Pays Tribute at Havana Memorial
Vladimir Alexandrovich Kolokoltsev, the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, paid tribute today to the Cuban combatants who fell in battle on January 3rd during an attack perpetrated by U.S. forces in Venezuela. The minister is currently visiting the island nation.

Floral Offering at Colon Necropolis
Before the Firefighters' Mausoleum in Havana's Colón Necropolis, he laid a floral wreath in remembrance of the courage and sacrifice of the fallen. The political ceremony was attended by his Cuban counterpart, Corps General of the Army Lázaro Alberto Álvarez Casas, other military chiefs, the visiting delegation he leads, Viktor V. Koronelli—the Russian ambassador to Cuba—and part of the diplomatic corps.

Praise for Shared Values and Brotherhood
At the site, Brigadier General Oscar Callejas Valcarce, head of the Political Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior (Minint), praised the indelible example of the combatants as part of the values shared by the largest of the Antilles and the Eurasian giant, founded on loyalty, bravery, and patriotism.

Callejas Valcarce emphasized that, amid the turbulent events unfolding in the Latin American and Caribbean region in the face of North American imperialist ambitions, the presence of the high-ranking Russian official in Cuba is further proof of the indestructible union between sister nations that honor this history with deeds and sacrifice.

He also expressed satisfaction with the words of Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent days while receiving Cuba's new ambassador to the Slavic nation, in which he reaffirmed the deep and solid nature of the relations between both countries.

"In memory of our fallen, we will honor the commitment to remain loyal to history, sovereign, and never betray our principles," he concluded.

Tribute to Soviet Internationalists
As part of the day of tribute, Kolokoltsev also laid a floral wreath before the Mausoleum to the Soviet Internationalist Soldier, which was inaugurated in 1978 by Army General Raúl Castro Ruz on the 60th anniversary of the Red Army.

The mortal remains of four of the 32 Cuban combatants who fell in Venezuela during the attack and subsequent kidnapping of Bolivarian leader Nicolás Maduro rest in the Colón Necropolis.