Following the operation to capture Venezuelan President Maduro in the United States, which resulted in the deaths of 32 Cuban security personnel, Cuba has been placed on high alert nationwide. The streets are heavily guarded, and officials are mourning the victims while preparing for potential developments.For years, Cuba has provided the Venezuelan president with bodyguards, operatives, and analysts, operating as a parallel covert intelligence network that has significantly enhanced Venezuela’s intelligence capabilities.In return, Venezuela supplies fuel to Cuba at heavily discounted prices (part of which is used for power generation), meeting approximately one-third of the island nation’s energy needs.However, confidence among Cuban operatives in their ability to withstand U.S. pressure crumbled instantly after Donald Trump’s weekend announcement that special forces had carried out an arrest operation in Caracas, Venezuela, with “zero casualties and zero losses.”What alarmed Cuban authorities even more was that Donald Trump, and Secretary of State Rubio once again called for an end to Cuba’s long-standing authoritarian regime, although they did not specify what concrete actions the U.S. might take. Donald Trump also claimed over the weekend that Cuba’s economy is in such dire straits that it is on the “verge of self-collapse.”In cities such as Las Tunas, Matanzas, and Havana, local residents reported that the deployment of military and police forces far exceeded normal levels, and the atmosphere was exceptionally tense.