Por Ronal Quiñones
HAVANA TIMES – Even before the voice of “play ball” has been sung, the participation of the Cuban Professional Baseball Federation (Fepcube) team in the 2024 Intercontinental Series, to be held from January 26 to February 1 in Barranquilla, Colombia, is already causing a stir in the Cuban government.
One of the most reluctant defenders of the dictatorship, the YouTuber “El Necio,” appeared on the beyond words television show “Con Filo” to insist that the goal is to divide Cuban baseball fans. However, he misses the mark when he says that the team is composed of players residing outside the island and cannot be called on by the official Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB). Contrary to this, it was seen in the past World Baseball Classic that the FCB turned in all directions, and those who were not present chose not to be, not because someone prevented them.
The Fepcube team intended to use the flag and national anthem of Cuba in the tournament, but Colombian authorities quickly prohibited it based on a complaint from the FCB. The FCB associated Fepcube with “a campaign linked to the organization, financing, and promotion of violent acts against institutions and legality in Cuba for the purpose of political destabilization.” The Government of Colombia considered that “the use of these symbols would be interpreted as a clear infringement on the constitutional and sports rights of the Republic of Cuba.” Therefore, Fepcube, created in 2023 and whose general manager is the retired star pitcher Orlando ‘Duque’ Hernandez, cannot use the main national symbols.
The decision comes at a complicated time for Colombian sports, as it lost the headquarters of the 2027 Pan American Games for not meeting the corresponding payment deadlines. The government of Gust