‘Demoralized’ Little League Staff Shut Out of World Series by Trump’s Journey Ban

A Venezuelan Little League baseball crew has been caught up in President Donald Trump’s journey ban and shall be unable to compete within the World Series after being denied journey visas to the U.S.

The Cacique Mara Little League crew from Maracaibo, Venezuela, had certified for the Senior League Baseball World Series set to be held in Easley, South Carolina, on Saturday.

In an interview posted to social media, the president of Cacique Mara Little League defined that regardless of touring to Bogotá, Colombia, two weeks prematurely in an try to safe journey visas for the event, their functions have been denied. Travelers from Venezuela face partially restricted entry to the U.S. beneath Trump’s journey ban.

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League president Kendry Gutiérrez said of the choice, “The players are demoralized. All they know how to do is play baseball. They want to compete and honor Venezuela and Latin America. They don’t pose any threat; they’re 15-year-old kids who want to win the World Cup.”

Little League International advised Politico that the information was “extremely disappointing, especially to these young athletes.” The Santa Maria de Aguayo Little League crew from Victoria, Mexico, who got here second within the qualifiers, will substitute the Venezuelan crew.

Venezuela’s Deputy Minister of Anti-Blockade Policies William Castillo responded to the information by calling out State Secretary Marco Rubio by identify, telling viewers of his Laiguana.television program, “Mr. Marco Rubio has denied visas to a group of Venezuelan athletes, averaging 15 years old, who were scheduled to represent Venezuela in a baseball championship.”

“They decided to deny them visas on instructions from the State Department. This is an attack on Venezuela, this is a restrictive measure,” he concluded.

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While Trump’s journey ban permits for exceptions for athletes touring for main sporting competitions—a clause more likely to be subjected to scrutiny forward of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Olympics, each set to happen within the U.S.—these exceptions are at Rubio’s discretion.

The Cuban girls’s nationwide volleyball crew grew to become the primary sports activities crew caught up in Trump’s journey ban after they have been denied visas to compete at a event in Puerto Rico earlier this month.