Venezuelan Teenagers Denied Us Visas For Senior Baseball World Series

A Venezuelan shot squad was denied visas into nan United States and will miss this year’s Senior Baseball World Series, Little League International confirmed Friday.

The Cacique Mara team, from Maracaibo, Venezuela, was scheduled to participate successful nan tourney aft winning nan Latin American title successful Mexico.

“The Cacique Mara Little League squad from Venezuela was unluckily incapable to get nan due visas to recreation to nan Senior League Baseball World Series,” Little League International said successful a statement, adding that it is “extremely disappointing, particularly to these young athletes”.

The Venezuelan squad traveled to Colombia 2 weeks agone to use for their visas astatine nan US embassy successful Bogotá.

The embassy did not instantly respond to an Associated Press petition for comment.

“It is simply a insult connected nan portion of Little League to support america present successful Bogotá pinch nan dream that our children tin fulfill their dreams of participating successful a world championship,” nan squad said successful a statement. “What do we do pinch truthful overmuch injustice, what do we do pinch nan symptom that was caused to our children?”

Venezuela is among a database of countries pinch restrictions for entering nan US aliases its territories. US president Donald Trump has banned recreation to nan United States from 12 different countries, citing nationalist information concerns.

Earlier successful nan month, nan Cuban women’s volleyball squad was denied visas to participate successful a tourney successful Puerto Rico.

“They told america that Venezuela is connected a database because Trump says Venezuelans are a threat to nan information of his state, of his country,” said Kendrick Gutiérrez, nan league’s president successful Venezuela. “It hasn’t been easy nan situation; we earned nan correct to correspond Latin America successful nan World Championship.”

The Senior League Baseball World Series, a tourney for players aged 13-16, is played each twelvemonth successful Easley, South Carolina. It originates Saturday.

The tourney organizers replaced nan Venezuelans pinch nan Santa Maria de Aguayo squad from Tamaulipas, Mexico, nan squad that was a runner-up successful nan Latin American championship.

“I deliberation this is nan first clip this has happened, but it shouldn’t extremity this way. They’re going to switch america pinch different squad because relations person been severed; it’s not fair,” Gutiérrez added. “I don’t understand why they put Mexico successful astatine nan past infinitesimal and near Venezuela out.”