Cuba maintains hope of attending the World Classic

Latin Press

La Jornada Newspaper, Wednesday, September 24, 2025, p. a12

Havana. Cuba remains confident of participating in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, scheduled for March 5-17, 2026, despite not yet receiving a license from the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

During a press conference in the Adolfo Luque Hall of the Latinoamericano Stadium, the president of the Cuban Baseball Federation (FCBS), Juan Reinaldo Pérez, expressed that "we are optimistic and hope to receive permission to attend the tournament, as has happened in the five previous editions."

The executive added that they are already working on pre-selecting players, including those who live outside the country and others of Cuban descent born abroad who are interested in wearing the island's uniform.

He also clarified that without OFAC authorization, they cannot conduct any official business with Major League Baseball, an organization that requires this approval to engage with Cuba due to the current economic embargo regulations.

A few days ago, the FCBS issued a protest note denouncing that, unlike the rest of the qualifiers, Cuba had not been invited to submit the preliminary roster of 50 players, a process that began on September 1.

According to the statement, the tournament organizers acknowledge having requested permission from Washington well in advance, but the response remains pending. The statement describes the situation as an "unjustified delay that creates uncertainty and affects the technical process of compiling the roster" and denounces the United States' restrictions as "contrary to the spirit of sport."

The federation emphasized that Cuban baseball players earned their right to participate in the Classic on the field, and reaffirmed that Cuba is not asking for privileges, but rather for equal conditions.

Although in previous editions, such as 2006 and 2023, the license was granted just months before the tournament's start, the current political climate between Havana and Washington adds uncertainty. Specialized media have reported that the organizers of the Clásico are even considering an alternative plan if the authorization doesn't arrive in time.

▲ Mexican Paralympian Jesús Gutiérrez (pictured) won the silver medal in the 200m individual medley SM6 final, setting a record for the Americas, clocking 2:37.06 minutes, on the third day of competition at the Singapore 2025 World Para Swimming Championships. Ángel Camacho, a multi-medallist at Paris 2024, claimed his second bronze medal after finishing third in the 150m individual medley SM4, clocking 2:37.65 minutes. Photo: Conade

La Jornada Newspaper, Wednesday, September 24, 2025, p. a12