𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗣 𝗣𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗘𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗥𝗨𝗕𝗜𝗢 𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗕𝗟𝗢𝗖𝗞 𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗭𝗨𝗘𝗟𝗔𝗡 𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗚𝗨𝗘 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗧𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧

It angered me when I read Juan Montoya's reporting in El Rrun Rrun this morning about the Venezuelan Little League team being denied travel visas for a tournament in the U.S.

Immediately, I thought of my friends, baseball historian Rene Torres and local Little League administrator, Dino Chavez, wondering how they were taking this and I thought about the constant gawdamned hits democracy takes daily with demagogue Trump at the helm, along with our cowardly Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

As Juan explained, as well as the Border Report, Politico and The Independent, a youth baseball team from Maracaibo, Venezuela has been barred from participating in the Senior League World Series in Easley, South Carolina, after its players were denied U.S. travel visas. The decision stems from a travel ban signed by President Donald Trump, which includes Venezuela among several countries with restricted entry into the United States. The proclamation, enacted in June, blocks most travel from a list of nations the administration described as national security threats.

The team, Cacique Mara Little League, had earned the right to represent Latin America in the prestigious 12-team tournament, which includes squads from both the U.S. and abroad. But their efforts to secure visas, made two weeks ahead of the tournament during a trip to the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia, were denied under the Trump-era restrictions. Tournament organizers confirmed this week that the team will not be allowed to compete and will be replaced by the runner-up from the Latin America regional qualifier, Santa Maria de Aguayo Little League from Mexico.

Despite exceptions in the travel ban for athletes participating in major international sporting events, such as the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup, those exceptions do not apply to youth competitions like the Little League World Series. As we stated, the determination of what qualifies as a major sporting event is made by the Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who did not grant an exception in this case.

The denial has left the Venezuelan players devastated. Kendry Gutiérrez, president of the Cacique Mara league, said the children were demoralized and heartbroken after learning they couldn’t compete. “All they know how to do is play baseball,” he said. “They didn’t pose any threat—they’re 15-year-old kids who want to win a world title and represent their country with pride.”

Little League International, the organization behind the tournament, called the situation “extremely disappointing, especially to these young athletes,” and said it regrets the impact the decision will have on the team. A U.S. State Department official told reporters the case is under review to ensure proper procedures were followed during the visa process.

                                       

The Trump administration also blocked the Cuban women's volleyball team from a tournament in Puerto Rico.  This incompetent administration is destroying any semblance of goodwill toward the U.S. remaining across the world.

This incident is the latest in a series of diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela. Under Trump, the U.S. took a hardline stance against the Venezuelan government, accusing it of ties to criminal groups and imposing strict travel and immigration restrictions. The travel ban has already impacted other sports teams, including the Cuban women’s volleyball team, which was recently denied entry into Puerto Rico for a tournament.

The Senior League World Series begins this weekend and runs through early August. While the tournament will go on, the absence of the Cacique Mara team is a stark reminder of how cruel politics can affect even our world's young people.