Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla denounced the US government’s decision to deny visas to eight members of the official delegation that will represent the island in the upcoming World Baseball Classic (WBC).
Through his official account on the social network X, the Cuban Foreign Minister criticized the measure, calling it a reiteration of Washington’s hostile behavior. Rodríguez Parrilla stated that this action is directly “aimed at limiting the development of Cuban sports” and constitutes a breach of the commitments assumed by the U.S. as host country of a global event.
“It seeks to prevent our #TeamAsere from competing on equal terms with the other teams participating in the #WorldBaseballClassic,” the diplomat declared, linking this action to the policy of blockade and strangulation that the White House maintains against the Caribbean nation.
The Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation (FCBS) confirmed that among those affected by Washington’s refusal are key figures in the island’s sports structure, specifically the organization’s president, Juan Reinaldo Pérez Pardo, the general secretary, Carlos del Pino Muñoz, and the legendary former pitcher Pedro Luis Lazo, who currently serves as the national team’s pitching coach.
The Cuban Baseball Federation (FCBS) described the response from U.S. authorities as a lack of respect for the sport’s basic principles, after waiting more than a month for a resolution that ignores the grounds for their requests. “We will analyze how to proceed and will inform you in due course,” the Federation stated in an official press release.
This is not the first time the U.S. government has used its position as host country to target delegations from countries that do not align with its political interests. Cuba is on an arbitrary list of restricted nations along with countries like Venezuela, whose Little League team, “Cacique Mara,” suffered a similar exclusion last year.
Despite these maneuvers aimed at undermining the morale of the Cuban team, “Team Asere,” which finished third in the 2023 edition, is maintaining its training schedule in Arizona against Major League Baseball teams, prior to its debut in Group A in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where they will face the national teams of Puerto Rico, Colombia, Panama, and Canada from March 5 to 17.
The international community and baseball fans are watching with concern as the spirit of sportsmanship is once again being exploited by U.S. foreign policy, affecting the fairness of one of the most-watched tournaments on the planet.
This visa dispute transcends the sporting arena, becoming an extension of the blockade and strangulation policy that Washington is imposing on the island. By denying entry to key executives and the legendary manager Pedro Luis Lazo, the U.S. government is using its status as host country to sabotage the logistics and morale of the Cuban National Team, flagrantly violating international regulations that obligate the host nation to guarantee the participation of all delegations on equal terms.
From the perspective of regional integration, this incident adds to a long list of aggressions where sport is taken hostage for political ends. The arbitrary inclusion of Cuba on restricted lists seeks to stifle the success of a sports system that is a symbol of sovereignty and cultural resistance, attempting to demoralize a team that has already demonstrated its ability to be among the best in the world despite external pressures.
Finally, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez’s statement highlights that this maneuver is not an isolated incident, but a recurring strategy that has also affected nations like Venezuela. This situation reveals the contradiction of a system that preaches “fair play” while imposing bureaucratic and political obstacles to prevent the peoples of the Global South from competing with dignity and freedom on the world’s major stages.
IMAGE CREDIT: Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez denounces US maneuver to sabotage Cuba’s participation in the World Baseball Classic. Photo: EFE
[ SOURCE: teleSUR ]
