Table Tennis Star Beats the World – But Not U.S. Sanctions

Brazilian table tennis World Cup champion Hugo Calderano was unable to compete at the World Table Tennis US Smash in Las Vegas last week after the U.S. denied his visa request. The reason? He competed in Cuba two years ago.

“I followed the same protocol as all my previous trips to the United States using my Portuguese passport. When I was informed of the situation, I mobilized my entire team to obtain an emergency visa, but unfortunately, there was not enough time,” Calderano said in a statement. “It is frustrating to be left out of one of the most important competitions of the season for reasons beyond my control.”

Calderano, who is the highest ranked non-Chinese player in the world, holds dual citizenship from Portugal. As a Portuguese citizen, he is eligible to travel to the U.S. without a visa by applying online via the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).

But the U.S. government automatically revokes the visa waiver privilege for anyone who has visited Cuba since it was placed on the State Department’s State Sponsors of Terrorism list (SSOT). 

There’s no credible evidence that Cuba sponsors terrorism. The designation forms part of the U.S. government’s “maximum pressure” strategy to destroy Cuba’s economy. Inclusion on the list has cut the island off from international trade, credit, banking and investment. 

The terror list has also resulted in a decrease of much-needed European tourism, as many Europeans have stopped coming to Cuba to avoid losing their U.S. visa waiver perk.

Watch our video and hear from European travelers about what they think of the U.S. measure HERE.