A little bit league heartbreak : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/7253x4835+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F59%2Fcd%2F45f265ad4936a3f24644fdfb639a%2Fgettyimages-2168420250.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/7253x4835+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F59%2Fcd%2F45f265ad4936a3f24644fdfb639a%2Fgettyimages-2168420250.jpg" class="img" alt="Members of the Southwest Region team from Boerne, Texas and the Latin America Region team from Barquisimeto, Venezuela shake handsafter Latin America won the Little League World Series Consolation Game 4-3 at Howard J. Lamade Stadium on August 25, 2024 in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania." fetchpriority="high"/> Members of the Southwest Area workforce from Boerne, Texas and the Latin America Area workforce from Barquisimeto, Venezuela shake handsafter Latin America gained the Little League World Collection Comfort Sport 4-3 at Howard J. Lamade Stadium on August 25, 2024 in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Dylan Buell/Getty Photos/Getty Photos North America conceal caption

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Dylan Buell/Getty Photos/Getty Photos North America The Senior League World Collection championship, for Little Leaguers ages 13 to 16 from everywhere in the world, is performed in the present day in Easly, South Carolina. However the Cacique Mara workforce from Maracaibo, Venezuela could not compete. They gained the Latin American qualifier rounds in Mexico final month, however had been denied journey visas to the USA.

President Trump signed a proclamation in June to ban or partly ban residents from 19 international locations together with Afghanistan, Cuba, Iran, and Venezuela from coming into the U.S. for nationwide safety issues. However there have been exemptions for athletes taking part within the World Cup, the Olympics, or different main sporting occasions as decided by the secretary of state.

It's not clear why an immigration officer denied journey visas to this workforce of Venezuelan kids. A State Division spokesperson advised us, they've "a coverage to grant nationwide curiosity exceptions to certified vacationers taking part in a lot of these sporting occasions on a case-by-case foundation. As a result of further processing time required, we advocate that candidates apply nicely upfront of their anticipated journey date."

In fact, a baseball workforce taking part in in a championship event cannot apply for a visa till they've gained a spot in that event.

Kendry Gutiérrez, president of the Cacique Mara Little League, mentioned in a press release that his gamers are "...demoralized. All they know the way to do is play baseball. They do not symbolize any risk; they're 15-year-old children who wish to win the World Cup."

Not permitting this group of younger athletes to return to the U.S. for a significant sporting occasion raises some questions:

Will Iran's wonderful nationwide soccer workforce actually be permitted to play 2026 World Cup soccer video games within the US? Will athletes from Iran, Cuba, Venezuela and different listed international locations actually be given visas to compete on the 2028 Summer time Olympics in Los Angeles?

Two different Little League groups from Venezuela, one from Valencia, one other from Barquisimeto, had been granted visas.

Worldwide sports activities competitions are sometimes saluted for selling respect throughout all boundaries. And so the choice to not give visas to those youngsters from Cacique Mara is difficult to know.

What you see is a gaggle of children from Venezuela who've been denied the possibility to return to America to play their hearts out in a recreation they love.