The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX) of Cuba denounced "acts of hostility" against the team that participated in the World Baseball Classic.
In a declaration, the organization noted that in the semifinal game between Cuba and the United States, held at the LoanDepot Park stadium in Miami, there were "unfortunate and dangerous incidents against the Cuban team."
According to the document, the Cuban players went there "to defend their colors with dignity," but they also had to face "vile and organized aggression," in the face of messages of support they received from other people, mostly Cubans, a good part of them Miami residents.
"With the clear purpose of destabilizing our players, repeated acts of various nature were carried out against them, against the delegation that accompanied them and against the followers of the Cuban squad in the stadium. These included direct attacks, threats, use of offensive language and vulgar, harmful attacks on the morale of the Cuban team and other incidents aimed at damaging the spirit of the athletes and damaging the spectacle," he details.
The MINIREX accused the stadium staff and local authorities of complicity with those who threw objects at the players and their families, members of the delegation, journalists and spectators who supported the Cubans.
He also said that "alleged spectators" They entered the field, interrupted the game and endangered the safety of the players, in reference to the three Cubans: the plastic artist Danilo Maldonado "El Sexto", Antonio Fernández and the journalist Carlos Manuel Álvarez - the latter is prohibited from returning to Cuba -, who took to the field to protest.
Despite the alleged complicity of which the Cuban government speaks, the three were arrested and taken to the TGK jail in Miami-Dade County, and released the next day after paying bail.
The Foreign Ministry statement added that insults and threats were shouted at the athletes, "which violates the rules of Major League Baseball (MLB)," and recalled what happened to the pitcher. Frank Abel Alvarez. He was in an area of the dugout when he lost his temper due to the screams from a fan who yelled at him from the stands and threw the ball at him.
The Foreign Ministry was bothered to see Cuban exiles who They went to the stadium carrying flags and sweaters with phrases against the dictatorship, which according to the agency had "obscene and vulgar language" and "offensive images."
"All these actions were sufficient causes for immediate expulsion, summons, arrest or other legal consequences, which on this occasion did not occur," reproached MINREX.
The organization assures that "the The Cuban team did not participate in the event on equal terms", since before the start it had to face a complex and discriminatory process in which the authorities of Major League Baseball received delay authorization for licenses from the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Department of the Treasury, which which endangered Cuban participation in the Classic.
Lastly, the regime accuses Miami of showing a "climate of aggressiveness" towards Cuban athletes, and assures that "it does not meet the minimum conditions to host an international event."
The government statement follows the same line as that of coach Germán Mesa, technical head of the Cuban team, who upon his return to the island implied that they even fought with the public during Sunday's game in Miami, in which they were beaten by the team United States.
"We exude courage. We even fight with the public, which was very intense. They were very hostile to us. Well, that's how we continue to move forward, always thinking about Cuba," said Mesa at the official reception of the team at the Havana airport, in the presence of ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel.
In Miami, the Mayor Francis Suárez assured that he will investigate the prohibition of entering posters against the regime Cuban at the Marlins stadium last Sunday.
"It is not clear why the policy changed. It could have been interpreted as something offensive that could harm the team's fans," Yuniesky Ramírez, Cuban reporter and presenter of Telemundo 51.
Suárez confirmed that he will hold a conversation with the authorities so that this situation does not happen again, that the stadium is paid for with taxpayers' money and that this type of attitude can be interpreted as an offense to the fans.
Before the game, he said that the decision made no sense when they live in a free country "where we should be able to express ourselves freely."
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