Caracas: Cuban security personnel have begun leaving Venezuela in what analysts see as a major shift in the long standing alliance between Havana and Caracas. The move comes as pressure from the United States increases and Venezuela’s new leadership adjusts its security structure.
Officials and security sources said Cuban bodyguards who once protected senior Venezuelan leaders have been replaced by Venezuelan personnel. Flights carrying Cuban personnel back to Havana have resumed, though some Cuban advisers and medical workers are still present in smaller numbers.
Cuba has played a key role in Venezuela for more than two decades, providing intelligence support, security assistance and doctors for social programs. In return, Venezuela supplied subsidized oil that helped sustain Cuba’s economy.
The latest developments follow a dramatic US operation in early January in which former president Nicolás Maduro was captured. Reports indicate that several Cuban operatives guarding him were killed, drawing attention to the depth of Cuban involvement in Venezuela’s security apparatus.
Washington has been pushing Venezuela’s interim authorities to distance themselves from Cuba and other US adversaries. Recent diplomatic and military contacts between US officials and Venezuelan authorities suggest growing cooperation on security matters.
The withdrawal is also linked to economic pressure. Reduced Venezuelan oil shipments have deepened Cuba’s fuel shortages, affecting transportation, electricity supply and public services across the island.
Despite the drawdown, analysts say Cuban influence has not completely disappeared and remains embedded in parts of Venezuela’s intelligence system. Venezuela’s leadership appears to be balancing improved relations with Washington while maintaining historic ties with Havana.
The shift could reshape political alliances across Latin America. For Cuba, losing its strategic foothold in Venezuela threatens a critical source of energy and economic support. For the United States, weakening the Cuba Venezuela partnership represents a significant geopolitical objective in the region.
Observers say the coming months will determine whether the withdrawal marks a temporary adjustment or the beginning of a broader realignment in the Americas.