Despite Visa Denials, Cuba Will Compete in WBC

Eight members of the Cuban delegation to the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) have been denied U.S. visas, blocking them from traveling to Cuba’s first game in Puerto Rico. But that has not stopped the Cuban team from competing in the tournament. Cuba will face off with Panama today.

Support staff and officials, including the president and secretary-general of the federation, as well as pitching coach and former star pitcher Pedro Luis Lazo, were denied visas.

The Cuban Baseball Federation called the visa denials “discriminatory, politicized and unethical.” It said U.S. officials pointed to a lack of cooperation with the U.S. on immigration enforcement to justify the visa denials. 

There is no indication that Cuba has not cooperated with the U.S. on immigration enforcement. As Belly of the Beast has documented, Cuba continues to receive monthly deportation flights from the United States despite the Trump administration unilaterally ending bilateral migration talks that had been held regularly under the Biden administration.

The visa denials are not new. Since Trump assumed office, dozens of Cuban athletes have been prevented from competing in international tournaments. The women’s national volleyball team was denied visas to “protect the United States from foreign terrorists and other national security threats.”

Read more about Marco Rubio’s war on Cuban athletes in this article by Dariel Pradas and Reed Lindsay.

More than the national sport, baseball is central to Cuban national identity. Historically, the island has been a baseball powerhouse, winning more international tournaments than any other country. And despite an exodus of talented players in recent years, the team reached the semifinals in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.