Cuban Baseball Federation Criticizes Island's Exclusion from Caribbean Series

The Cuban Baseball Federation has labeled the exclusion of its team from the upcoming Caribbean Series as "disrespectful" following the shift of the event's location to Guadalajara, Mexico.

"We find the exclusion of Cuba from the 2026 Caribbean Baseball Series, now set to take place in Mexico, to be disrespectful," stated a communiqué released this past Sunday.

The statement further elaborates, "Although the invitation was initially extended by Venezuela, as the original host of this edition, it was endorsed by the Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation (CBPC), which governs the tournament, of which our country is a founding member."

Cuban authorities have expressed their grievances, highlighting that "this organization has not engaged in any communication with the Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation regarding such a significant decision, undermining the commitments and plans previously approved by our country."

"The change in venue does not justify Cuba's exclusion, especially considering the need for respectful treatment in such a sensitive matter for our sport," they argue.

Recently, it was confirmed that the 2026 Caribbean Series would be relocated to Guadalajara, Mexico, cementing a challenging scenario for Cuban baseball as it officially remains out of the tournament due to the unforeseen changes necessitated by the inability to host the event in Venezuela.

The Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation (CBPC) announced that the 2026 edition would occur from February 1 to 8 at the Pan American Stadium, home of the Charros de Jalisco, after the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Mexico declined to attend in Caracas due to "external circumstances beyond their control."

This non-sporting decision mandated a redefinition of both the venue and the tournament format.

Under the new structure approved by the CBPC, participants will include champions from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, Panama as an invited country, and two teams from Mexico, which will be the finalists of the 2025-2026 Mexican Pacific League.

In this scenario, Cuba was left out of the competition, as well as the champion of the Venezuelan league, whose inclusion is currently "under evaluation."

Cuba's absence from the 2026 Caribbean Series extends its separation from the premier event of Caribbean professional baseball, despite the island's historical significance in the sport's development in the region. The decision is rooted not in athletic performance but in ongoing institutional and political realignments that continue to impact Cuba's participation in high-level tournaments.