Miguel Díaz-Canel, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic, said that he considers unacceptable the discriminatory treatment by the United States (US) against his country’s team ahead of the VI World Baseball Classic.
“The US is punishing baseball again,” Díaz-Canel stated on the social media platform X, and denounced that they have not approved Cuba’s participation in the event, scheduled for March 2026, while the other qualified teams have already submitted rosters.
The Cuban head of state stated that it is a political exclusion that violates the spirit of sport; we deserve equal conditions, he expressed.
“Once again, the US is punishing baseball. They haven’t approved #Cuba’s participation in the VI World Baseball Classic, while the rest of the teams have already submitted rosters. Unacceptable! It’s a political exclusion that violates the spirit of sportsmanship. We deserve equal conditions.”
This Friday, the Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation (FCBS) announced in a protest statement that, unlike the rest of the qualifiers, it has not been officially summoned by Major League Baseball (MLB) to submit preliminary rosters of 50 players for the VI World Baseball Classic.
According to the statement, this process should have been completed on September 1, but the event organizers have stated that, despite requesting it well in advance, they do not have the approval from the US government that would allow Cuba to participate.
The entire process has been characterized by unjustified delays that generate uncertainty and affect the technical process of compiling our roster, the FCBS emphasized.
It reaffirmed that Cuba has been the victim of unfair, unequal, and politically motivated treatment, which is incompatible with the principles of respect, equity and transparency that should govern any international competition.
The FCBS emphasized that Cuban baseball players won, on the field, their right to participate in the VI World Baseball Classic and assured that Cuba’s talent, passion, and commitment to the sport will not be jeopardized by bureaucratic maneuvers or political exclusions.
[ SOURCE: AGENCIA CUBANA DE NOTICIAS (ACN) ]
