A Venezuelan baseball team will not be able to compete in this year’s Little League Senior Baseball World Series after it was denied visas into the United States.
Last month, President Donald Trump unveiled a travel ban to the U.S. on 12 other countries — with athletes slated to compete in the 2026 FIFA World Cup expected to be exempt from the restrictions.
Unfortunately for the Cacique Mara team based in Maracaibo, Venezuela, they were not given the same preferential treatment. And they are not the only team to miss out on a major international competition as a result of United States border policy.
According to the Little League International, the club was unable to secure the required documents needed to enter the United States.
“The Cacique Mara Little League team from Venezuela was unfortunately unable to obtain the appropriate visas to travel to the Senior League Baseball World Series,” an official statement read.
The Cacique Mara team punched their ticket to the tournament after emerging victorious in the Latin American championship in Mexico. In their absence, Santa Maria de Aguayo — the runner-ups in the event — will take their place.
“While this is extremely disappointing, especially to these young athletes, the Little League International Tournament Committee has made the decision to advance the second place team, Santa Maria de Aguayo Little League (Victoria, Mexico), to participate in the Senior League Baseball World Series and ensure the Latin America Region is represented in the tournament and that the players, coaches, and families from Mexico are able to have a memorable World Series experience,” the statement continued.
Two weeks ago, the Cacique Mara team traveled to Bogota, Colombia to apply for visas at the U.S. embassy.
“It is a mockery on the part of Little League to keep us here in Bogota with the hope that our children can fulfill their dreams of participating in a world championship,” the team said in a statement.
“What do we do with so much injustice, what do we do with the pain that was caused to our children?”
Kendrick Gutierrez, the Venezuelan league’s president, did little to hide his frustration upon learning that Cacique Mara team had been ruled out of the Senior League Baseball World Series — a tournament for 13-16 year old players held annually in Easley, South Carolina.
“They told us that Venezuela is on a list because Trump says Venezuelans are a threat to the security of his state, of his country,” Gutierrez said. “It hasn’t been easy, the situation. We earned the right to represent Latin America in the world championship.
“I think this is the first time this has happened, but it shouldn’t end this way. They’re going to replace us with another team because relations have been severed. It’s not fair. I don’t understand why they put Mexico in at the last minute and left Venezuela out.”
Overseas teams should say “Screw Trump’s Amerika” and set up their own Little League International Tournament — make it truly international and leave the U.S. behind.
https://www.irishstar.com/sport/other-sports/little-league-baseball-venezuela-mexico-35630049