The Cacique Mara Little League team from Venezuela will not be participating in the Senior League Baseball World Series after being denied visas. (Courtesy photo).
Mexico to replace Venezuela in upcoming tournament
EASLEY — The Cacique Mara Little League team from Venezuela will not be participating in the Senior League Baseball World Series after being denied visas, Little League International announced Wednesday. The team was set to represent the Latin America Region in the tournament held here in Easley.
The denial of visas for the Venezuelan team is reportedly linked to a June 4 presidential order restricting entry into the United States from certain countries due to national security and public safety interests. The order includes a partial suspension of visa issuance to nationals of Venezuela for nonimmigrant visas like those used for visitor, student and exchange purposes. Venezuela was included on a list of countries facing restrictions based on the Trump administration’s “assessment of risks” posed to U.S. national security.
While visa issues leading to denial for an entire team like Cacique Mara are not common, there have been previous instances of Little League teams or players facing challenges with U.S. entry due to visa or immigration-related problems. Notably, in 2011, the first African team to qualify for the Little League World Series, a team from Uganda, was unable to attend due to visa denials related to discrepancies over players’ ages. There have also been cases of individual players facing immigration problems preventing them from joining their teams at the World Series.
In response to the situation, the Little League International Tournament Committee has invited the Santa Maria de Aguayo Little League from Victoria, Mexico, the second-place team in the Latin America Region, to take Venezuela’s place.
Mexico will now represent the region in the Senior League Baseball World Series at J.B. “Red” Owens Sports Complex, which begins this Friday and runs through Aug. 2.