Venezuelan teenagers denied US visas for Senior Baseball World Series | Baseball
A Venezuelan baseball team has been denied visas in the United States and will miss this year’s World Baseball World series, confirmed on Friday.
The Cacique Mara, Maracaibo, Venezuela Cacique team was to participate in the tournament after winning the Latin American championship in Mexico.
“The Cacique Mara Little League team from Venezuela unfortunately could not obtain the appropriate visas to go to the World Series of the Baseball League,” said Little League International in a press release, adding that it is “extremely disappointing, in particular these young athletes”.
The Venezuelan team went to Colombia two weeks ago to ask their visas at the United States Embassy in Bogotá.
The embassy did not immediately respond to an associated comment request.
“It is a mockery from Little League to keep us here in Bogotá in the hope that our children can realize their dreams of participating in a world championship,” the team said in a statement. “What are we doing with so much injustice, what do we do with the pain caused to our children?”
Venezuela is part of a list of countries with restrictions on the United States or its territories. US President Donald Trump has prohibited travel in the United States in 12 other countries, citing national security problems.
Earlier in the month, the Cuban women’s volleyball team was denied visas to participate in a tournament in Puerto Rico.
“They told us that Venezuela was on a list because Trump says that the Venezuelans threaten the security of his state, his country,” Kendrick Guérrez, president of the League in Venezuela, told. “It was not easy the situation; We have gained the right to represent Latin America in the world championship. ”
The Senior Baseball World Series league, a tournament for players aged 13 to 16, is played out every year in Easley, in South Carolina. It starts on Saturday.
The tournament organizers replaced the Venezuelans with the Santa Maria de Aguayo team from Tamaulipas, Mexico, the team who was a finalist in the Latin American championship.
“I think this is the first time it happens, but it should not end in this way. They will replace us with another team because the relationships have been cut; it’s not fair,” added Guérrez. “I don’t understand why they put Mexico at the last minute and left Venezuela.”
