The Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation expressed its rejection this Sunday of Cuba's exclusion from the 2026 Caribbean Series, after the tournament's venue was moved from Venezuela to Guadalajara, Mexico, where it will be played from February 1 to 7. The organization described the decision as “disrespectful” and questioned the institutional handling of the change, arguing that there were no sporting or administrative reasons to justify the island's withdrawal from the event. Through a statement published on social media, the federation maintained that “the change of venue does not justify Cuba's non-participation, which, moreover, deserves and demands respectful treatment, especially given the sensitive nature of the situation for our sport.” The statement made clear the discontent generated by a decision that, according to the Cuban leadership, breaks previously established agreements. From Havana, they recalled that the initial invitation to participate in the 2026 Caribbean Series was extended when Venezuela was the designated host. However, they emphasized that the invitation “was endorsed by the Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation (CBPC), the tournament's governing body,” which, in their view, gave it institutional validity beyond the host country.

Complaints to the CBPC and the Background of the Venue Change

One of the most critical points of the Cuban statement was directed at the Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation. The federation pointed out that “this entity has not maintained any communication with the Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation regarding such an important decision, which undermines the established commitments and the plan approved by our country to host the tournament.” For Cuba, the lack of dialogue aggravated a situation they already considered delicate.

The venue change was announced on Thursday by the CBPC itself, which confirmed Guadalajara as the new host of the tournament after approving the proposal submitted by the Mexican Pacific League (Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico). In this way, the Mexican city will once again host the Caribbean Series, as it did in 2018.The change came after the leagues of Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic announced they were unable to attend in Caracas, the original venue, due to "external circumstances beyond their control." This stance was decisive in the CBPC's evaluation of alternatives and its decision to relocate the tournament.