Four Cuban athletes left the delegation that attended the Pan American Junior Games in Asunción 2025, held in Paraguay, after completing their participation in the event.
Three members of the rowing team and one handball player did not return to their hotels on Wednesday and reportedly communicated their decision to remain in Paraguay, where they plan to seek asylum, according to reports from several local Paraguayan media outlets.
They are the rowers Félix Puentes Batista, Robert Landy Fernández Agramonte, and Keiler Ávila Núñez, along with the handball player Suannet de la Caridad Nápoles Jiménez.
According to a police authority revealed to the Paraguayan press, the young people were sightseeing yesterday afternoon, and at a certain moment, the four athletes separated from the group.
Subsequently, one of them called the head of the delegation and informed her that they would not be returning.
The authorities specified that the athletes did not have their passports in their possession - a common situation for Cuban sports delegations - so the young individuals are undocumented.
Camilo Pérez, president of the Paraguayan Olympic Committee, took it upon himself to publicly clarify the situation to avoid rumors or misunderstandings regarding a possible disappearance or kidnapping:
"I want to clarify that they are not missing. They left their delegation of their own free will. We learned about it through communication from the Cuban delegation, and we were the ones who made the corresponding report,” Pérez declared to the local press.
He also stated that the Committee will not express opinions on political matters as it does not fall within its sporting function.
The official confirmation was also supported by Paraguay's Minister of the Interior, Enrique Riera, who confirmed that the four athletes - all of whom are adults - had expressed their desire to settle in Paraguay.
Despite the fact that no details have been provided so far regarding the whereabouts of the athletes or their legal situation, there is information suggesting that the athletes would present themselves to the National Refugee Commission to initiate an asylum application.
The Cuban rowing team won Cuba's first medal in Paraguay
Last weekend, Cuba won its first medal at the II Junior Pan American Games thanks to the crew of the eight oars with coxswain, who secured the bronze medal in the Bay of Asunción, Paraguay.
The team, led by Roberto Carlos Paz, crossed the finish line with a time of 5:45.96 minutes, just behind Chile (gold, 5:42.26) and Brazil (silver, 5:45.75). The Cubans reached the halfway mark in third position and managed to maintain that position until the end.
"It is a source of pride to have contributed the first medal for Cuba. I am very happy with the team, the coaches, and everyone who has supported us to get here," declared Paz in statements reported by the official newspaper Granma.
Defections of Cuban athletes
The defection of Cuban athletes has become increasingly frequent at international sporting events in recent years.
In November 2023, during the Pan American Games held in Santiago, Chile, five players from the Cuban field hockey team and a hurdler also left the official delegation to seek refuge in that South American country.
The pattern highlights the increasing frequency with which Cuban athletes use these events as a way to escape their home country, where many report precarious conditions, a lack of individual freedoms, and limitations on their professional development.
Although the Paraguayan Olympic Committee has refrained from making political statements, the case inevitably touches on a phenomenon that transcends sports. Behind each abandonment are personal stories, shattered dreams, and difficult decisions made under pressure.
The search for a new beginning far from home means facing uncertainty for these young people, but it also offers the possibility of building a life with greater freedoms.
So far, Paraguayan authorities have not revealed details about the migration process that the athletes will follow or whether they will receive support from institutions or human rights organizations.
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