By CARLOS RODRIGUEZ
Eight members of Cuba’s delegation have been denied visas to the US for the World Baseball Classic, the Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation (FCBS) mentioned Thursday.
Cuba is ready to play towards Puerto Rico, Colombia, Panama and Canada in San Juan, Puerto Rico, throughout pool play of the WBC, which is scheduled from March 5-17.
Among the many Cubans that have been denied visas are FCBS president Juan Reinaldo Pérez Pardo and common secretary Carlos del Pino Muñoz. Pitching coach Pedro Luis Lazo was additionally denied.
An individual with direct information mentioned all Cuban gamers and coaches apart from Lazo obtained visas. The individual spoke to The Related Press on situation of anonymity Thursday as a result of no bulletins have been made concerning participant visas. The State Division declined to touch upon the Cuban grievance citing visa privateness legal guidelines, however a U.S. official, talking on situation of anonymity to debate the confidential matter, additionally mentioned none of these denied visas are precise athletes however moderately executives and officers.
“America’ response, after greater than a month since these requests have been submitted, ignores the explanations on which they’re based mostly, essentially the most fundamental ideas of sport, and the commitments assumed by the host nations of such occasions” the Federation mentioned in an announcement.
The Cubans completed third on the earlier WBC in 2023. The workforce has exhibition video games scheduled subsequent week towards the Kansas Metropolis Royals and the Cincinnati Reds in Arizona.
Cuba is amongst a listing of seven nations with journey restrictions to the US alongside Burundi, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
Final yr, the Cacique Mara workforce, from Maracaibo, Venezuela, was denied visas into the US and missed the Senior Baseball World Collection.
The Cuban Federation mentioned that it “will analyze learn how to proceed, and can inform sooner or later.”
AP Baseball Author Ronald Blum and Matthew Lee contributed to this report.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
