"Relatives, colleagues and friends of Cesar Augusto Garcia Palma, a Venezuelan sergeant who died during the US military incursion, gathered in south-west Caracas on Wednesday to bid him a final farewell. Cesar Augusto was 30 years old and a member of the 397 Portable Air Defence Missile Group. In the early hours of January 3, he died at Fort Tiuna during US bombings and the detention of now former president Nicolas Maduro. Footage shows mourners around the sergeant's coffin, adorned with wreaths and photographs, as soldiers line up to carry it from the funeral home. Outside, his mother is seen weeping as an officer, and neighbours comfort her and chant for justice as the funeral vehicle departs. The sergeant's mother, Ramona Palma, remembered her son through tears and highlighted his commitment to the Bolivarian struggle. "He was such a well-mannered child, he was such a responsible child. [...] He was formed in the politics of our president, Chavez and all that ideology," said the sergeant's mother, Ramona Palma. Despite the mourning, she noted her son 'died where he wanted', giving his life for the country. "But at this moment, it is me who is suffering for my son." Cristina Tirado, who knew the sergeant, described him as "a relentless man in the revolutionary struggle," explaining that from a young age he showed his political and ideological commitment to the country. "He used to say, when he was a child, that he would defend his homeland with his life, as he showed today. Cesar died with his boots on at the hands of Yankee imperialism," added Maigualida Gomez, a friend of the sergeant's family. During the wake, mourners also demanded justice for civilians killed in the US strikes and called for the return of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were detained during the January 3 operation. At least 23 Venezuelan soldiers died in the operation, according to the Venezuelan Army. Cuba confirmed the deaths of 32 of its soldiers in the raid."