Cuban Doctors, Advisers & Security Forces Depart Venezuela Amid U.S. Pressure

Cuban security advisers and medical personnel have been departing Venezuela in recent weeks, according to 11 sources familiar with the matter, signaling potential strain in one of Latin America’s most durable political and security alliances.

According to a Reuters exclusive, the withdrawals follow the January 3 U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and killed 32 Cubans, as acknowledged by the Cuban government.

While neither Caracas nor Havana has formally confirmed a policy shift, multiple accounts point to personnel reductions inside Venezuela’s security apparatus and presidential protection structure.

Security Architecture Recalibrated

Four sources said Interim President Delcy Rodriguez has entrusted her protection to Venezuelan bodyguards, marking a departure from arrangements under Maduro and Hugo Chavez, both of whom relied on elite Cuban security elements.

A former Venezuelan intelligence official stated that some Cuban advisers embedded within the DGCIM counterintelligence agency had been removed from their posts. Two sources added that Cuban medical workers and security advisers had flown back to Cuba in recent weeks.

One source close to Venezuela’s ruling Socialist Party said the departures occurred on Rodriguez’s orders due to U.S. pressure.

Other sources differed on whether Cuban personnel were being expelled, leaving voluntarily, or summoned home by Havana.

The sidelining of Cubans from the presidential guard and counter-intelligence units has not been previously reported.

Washington’s Pressure Campaign

The evolving situation comes amid intensified U.S. efforts to sever Venezuela-Cuba security cooperation. On January 11, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social: “Cuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of oil and money from Venezuela. In return, Cuba provided ‘Security Services’ … BUT NOT ANYMORE!”

A White House official said Washington maintains “a very good relationship with the leaders of Venezuela,” adding that Rodriguez’s “own self-interest aligns with advancing our key objectives.”

On January 30, Trump signed an executive order declaring a national emergency over Cuba and authorizing tariffs on countries supplying oil to the island.

The order allows additional duties on imports from nations that directly or indirectly provide oil to Cuba. Since mid-December, Washington has blockaded Venezuela from shipping oil to Cuba, according to U.S. officials cited by sources.

Separately, a January 22 Wall Street Journal account said the Trump administration is trying to push for regime change in Cuba by the end of 2026, describing efforts to intensify pressure and encourage negotiations with Cuban insiders.

Medical Missions And Air Links

Prior to Maduro’s removal, thousands of Cuban doctors, nurses, and sports coaches worked in Venezuela under welfare programs initiated in the late 2000s. In exchange, Venezuela supplied Cuba with subsidized oil.

A source familiar with Cuban government thinking said injured Cuban personnel had returned home after the January 3 attack, while others remained active in Venezuela. The same source said many Cuban doctors continue providing care.

Cuba’s state-run media said in early January that suspended commercial flights and Venezuelan airspace closures created a backlog affecting doctors traveling for vacations or mission rotations. Those flights resumed the week after the January 3 U.S. operation, the reports said.

Alliance Optics And Regional Signals

Despite the reported drawdown, public messaging between Caracas and Havana has remained outwardly consistent. On January 8, Rodriguez appeared alongside Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez at a memorial service in Caracas. Later that month, Rodriguez held a phone call with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, after which both sides emphasized continued unity and “historic relations.”

Frank Mora, former U.S. ambassador to the Organization of American States, said Rodriguez is “treading very carefully,” adding: “She wants to keep the Cubans at a distance … but not entirely throw them under the bus.”

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said in February: “We will continue sending humanitarian aid … For now, we will not send fuel. We do not agree with imposing tariffs on countries that sell oil to Cuba.”

Four sources said some Cuban military advisers remain in Venezuela, while a former police officer noted Cuban professors continue teaching at UNES, Venezuela’s security forces university.