Cuba confirms participation in the World Baseball Classic despite denial of visas to part of its delegation

HAVANA. – The Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation confirmed this Sunday that the national team will participate in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, despite the fact that the United States denied visas to eight members of its delegation.

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Through a statement released in official media, the federation described the decision as a “discriminatory and politicized” act, noting that the affected delegates had functions assigned by the tournament organizers, just like the representatives of the other participating countries.

The entity explained that, faced with this situation, the responsibilities of the members who will not be able to travel were redistributed among the available staff, including members of the technical team, which —according to them— puts the Cuban team at an operational and competitive disadvantage. Despite this scenario, sports authorities reiterated their commitment to participate in the international event. “We will not give up on a tournament we have been a part of since its first edition. Our will to compete and do so with dignity prevails,” the federation expressed in the statement. The Cuban team plans to travel soon to the state of Arizona, where they will continue their final preparation before the start of the tournament, scheduled from March 5 to 17. The championship will have venues in Miami, Houston, San Juan and Tokyo. For its part, the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (Inder) also criticized the decision of the US government, calling it an act of aggression that seeks to hinder the participation of the Cuban team in the competition. Cuba will compete in Group A of the tournament along with Puerto Rico, Colombia, Panama and Canada. The island’s sports authorities indicated that the team’s goal will be to equal or improve the historic fourth place obtained in the 2023 edition of the World Baseball Classic.