Venezuelan baseball teens denied visas into U.S.

A Venezuelan shot squad was denied visas into the United States and volition miss this year's Senior Baseball World Series, Little League International said Friday.

The Cacique Mara team, from Maracaibo, Venezuela, was scheduled to enactment successful the tourney aft winning the Latin American title successful Mexico.

"The Cacique Mara Little League squad from Venezuela was unluckily incapable to get the due visas to question to the Senior League Baseball World Series," Little League International said successful a statement, adding that it is "extremely disappointing, particularly to these young athletes."

The Venezuelan squad traveled to Colombia 2 weeks agone to use for their visas astatine the U.S. embassy successful Bogotá.

"It is simply a mockery connected the portion of Little League to support america present successful Bogotá with the anticipation that our children tin fulfill their dreams of participating successful a satellite championship," the squad said successful a statement. "What bash we bash with truthful overmuch injustice, what bash we bash with the symptom that was caused to our children?"

The embassy did not instantly respond to an Associated Press petition for comment.

Venezuela is among a database of countries with restrictions for entering the U.S. oregon its territories. President Donald Trump has banned question to the U.S. from 12 different countries, citing nationalist information concerns.

Earlier successful the month, the Cuban women's volleyball squad was denied visas to enactment successful a tourney successful Puerto Rico.

"They told america that Venezuela is connected a database due to the fact that Trump says Venezuelans are a menace to the information of his state, of his country," said Kendrick Gutiérrez, the league's president successful Venezuela. "It hasn't been casual the situation. We earned the close to correspond Latin America successful the World Championship."

The Senior League Baseball World Series, a tourney for players ages 13-16, is played each twelvemonth successful Easley, South Carolina. It begins Saturday.

Tournament organizers replaced the Venezuelans with the Santa Maria de Aguayo squad from Tamaulipas, Mexico, which was a runner-up successful the Latin American championship.

"I deliberation this is the archetypal clip this has happened, but it shouldn't extremity this way. They're going to regenerate america with different squad due to the fact that relations person been severed. It's not fair," Gutiérrez said. "I don't recognize wherefore they enactment Mexico successful astatine the past infinitesimal and near Venezuela out."