OFFICIAL STATEMENT
The sports daily Jit published on Monday a statement by the Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB, for its Spanish acronyms) denouncing “the discriminatory treatment to which Cuban baseball players and the national team are subjected by the license granted by the United States government to the organizers of the V World Baseball Classic”.
Here is the text, draw your own conclusions:
FCB STATEMENT
The license granted by the Government of the United States to the organizers of the V World Baseball Classic for athletes of Cuban origin, with residence in that country, to integrate the Cuban team in this important event, prohibits those athletes, whether affiliated to MLB or not, to travel to Cuba to participate in any action related to the event.
This was officially informed to the Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB) by the organizers of that event, to be held from March 8 to March 21, 2023.
This provision includes not only the current training phase that takes place at Estadio Latinoamericano, but also the time after the competition, which means that they could not even celebrate with their teammates and fans, in case our team wins the V Classic.
Another restriction, valid for all MLB circuit players, regardless of the country they play for, is that none of the athletes subject to the license will be able to participate in the training and pre-competition preparation games that the Cuban national team plans to develop abroad. They will only be able to join the team on March 3, just five days before the start of the competition.
In the specific case of Cuba, the restriction extends to all athletes with legal residence in the United States, even if they do not belong to the MLB circuit, according to the license granted by the U.S. government.
The FCB strongly denounces this discriminatory treatment to which Cuban ballplayers and the national team are subjected, victims of irrational and politically motivated prohibitions, consistent with the hostile policy of the United States against Cuba and alien to the essence of the sport, and its healthy and constructive enjoyment.
The FCB reiterates its commitment to continue working with the objective of representing its people with dignity in the V World Baseball Classic.
