Cuba’s volleyball team was denied visas for a tournament in Puerto Rico, the latest example of a US travel crackdown that the communist government blasted as discriminatory and said could hurt its ability to participate in the Olympics.
The denial is another example of “racist and xenophobic visa restrictions developed by Secretary of State” Marco Rubio, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said Friday in a post on X. “They’re trying to block the development of Cuban sports, which are already limited” by US economic sanctions.
Since returning to office this year, President Donald Trump’s administration has hardened its policies toward Cuba, putting the island back on a list of state-sponsors of terrorism and slapping it with a partial travel ban. The government in Havana also says once-routine migration talks between the two countries have been suspended.
Cuba’s volleyball federation said 16 of its members of the women’s national team were barred from traveling for the competition next month in Puerto Rico — a US territory that adheres to federal immigration laws. The event, held by the North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation, is a qualifier for the Central American and Caribbean Games as well as the confederation championship.
The Cuban Olympic Committee, meanwhile, said visa denials have kept its officials from attending routine meetings in the US and blocked the men’s basketball team from participating in a tournament, also in Puerto Rico, earlier this year. Missing that event disqualified the team from the FIBA Americup — a hemisphere-wide basketball championship — that will be played in Nicaragua this year.
Last month, the Cuban Olympic Committee said it was “alarmed” by the US policies, which could hurt “Cuba’s ability to participate in Olympic qualifiers” ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
