Venezuelan Little League Team Denied Entry to Senior League World Series
A baseball team from Venezuela has been refused entry visas to the United States, preventing them from participating in the Senior League World Series set to take place in South Carolina, officials confirmed on Friday.
In a release, Little League International announced that the Cacique Mara team was unable to secure the necessary visas after initially traveling to Colombia two weeks ago.
The Maracaibo-based team had anticipated competing in the Senior League World Series in Easley, following their triumph in the Latin American Little League championship held in Mexico on June 16.
Senior League Baseball celebrated the Venezuelan team’s victory, sharing on social media, “See you all in 40 days for the first pitch!”
In light of the recent developments, Cacique Mara expressed frustration towards Little League officials over their inability to gain access to the U.S.
“It feels like a mockery from Little League to keep us waiting in Bogotá, hoping our children can realize their dreams of playing in a world championship,” stated a team representative.
The reasons behind the team’s visa denial remain unclear.
Recently, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio engaged with opposition leaders in Venezuela, who challenge current President Nicolas Maduro, whom Rubio has labeled as “illegitimate.”
Little League International has announced that the Cacique Mara team will be substituted by the runner-up Latin American squad, the Santa Maria de Aguayo Little League from Victoria, Mexico.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration implemented partial travel bans affecting seven countries, including Venezuela, while enforcing total bans on 12 additional nations, citing national security issues.
In a video posted on June 4, President Trump stated, “We will not allow individuals wishing to harm us to enter this country, and nothing will deter us from keeping America secure.”
Cuba, listed among the new travel restrictions, has historically participated in the Little League World Series and once enjoyed its own dedicated region within the international baseball organization.
This year, no teams from Cuba qualified for either the Senior or Little League World Series tournaments.
The Senior League World Series is scheduled to occur from July 26 to August 2.
The U.S. State Department has yet to respond to inquiries regarding this matter.
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