Tens of thousands of Cubans gathered Friday outside the U.S. embassy in Havana to protest the deaths of Cuban officers, who were killed during the U.S. military strike in Venezuela that resulted in the capture and arrest of President Nicolás Maduro earlier this month. 

Venezuelan and Cuban officials reported that dozens of officers and personnel were killed in the operation, including 32 Cuban military and police officers working in Venezuela. 

The protesters are calling for Maduro's release as he faces drug trafficking and weapons charges in New York. Maduro's wife has also been indicted in New York on the same charges and both have pleaded not guilty.

“No, imperialists, we have absolutely no fear of you … and we don’t like to be threatened,” Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said during the protest, according to The Hill. “You will not intimidate us ... No one here surrenders. The current emperor of the White House and his infamous secretary of state haven’t stopped threatening me.”

The demonstrators also waved Cuban flags and chanted “Down with imperialism!” and “Cuba will prevail!" 

The protest was organized by the Cuban government and comes a day after tens of thousands of Cubans gathered at the headquarters of the Ministry of the Armed Forces to honor the 32 officers, whose remains returned to Cuba on Thursday.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.