Lourdes Dávalos León, a lawyer known for defending the interests of the Cuban regime in the lawsuit against the National Bank of Cuba over multi-million dollar defaults, has decided to venture into the sports arena.
Rodolfo Dávalos Fernández's daughter now leads CurveBall Agency, a representation agency for Cuban baseball players based in Madrid, Spain.
"Curious how some always find their place in 'strategic projects' on the island. Life takes turns... or perhaps twists," commented journalist Yordano Carmona on X, who revealed the intricate connections that are generating plenty of discussion among sports journalists.
CurveBall Agency positions itself as a business dedicated to representing, discovering, and promoting Cuban talent in baseball on an international scale.
However, its creation seems to have the support of institutions such as the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (INDER) and the Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB).
This is clearly evidenced in an advertisement by the agency that shows a baseball with the caption: "Official Cuban Baseball Federation."
The promotional video features Cuban players Frank Abel Álvarez, Darío Sarduy Medina, Christian Rodríguez, and Carlos Monier, who are currently playing under state contracts managed by INDER.
The agency claims to have a "team of experts passionate about sports" who will work to take athletes "to the next level."
CurveBall Agency claims to be ready to "change the rules of the game."
On social media, CurveBall Agency claims to be "ready to change the game" and offers athletes services such as contract advice and career management.
“At CurveBall, we believe that your success is not only measured in statistics, but also in how we present you to the world,” they state on their Instagram account.
The relationship between CurveBall and the ruling party is also strengthened by the recent history of the FCB, which in 2018 reached an agreement with Major League Baseball (MLB) allowing Cuban players to sign contracts without officially leaving their national teams.
That agreement was annulled in 2019 under the administration of Donald Trump, but CurveBall could be an attempt to reactivate these strategies with a more modern approach.
The role of Lourdes Dávalos León
Lourdes Dávalos is closely connected to the regime's strategic projects.
Known for her involvement in the London trial against the National Bank of Cuba, she also leads the firm Dávalos Abogados, which specializes in foreign investments in Cuba.
His lifestyle, which combines dinners at exclusive restaurants in Madrid with a taste for luxury brands, stands in stark contrast to the precarious situation faced by athletes in Cuba.
The creation of CurveBall raises questions about the true intentions of the Cuban regime.
In the words of the specialized outlet Pelota Cubana: “The Cuban regime, an expert in creating seemingly private structures that serve its purposes, appears to have found in CurveBall a perfect formula to maintain control while projecting an image of modernization.”
Pelota Cubana also contrasted the luxury surrounding Lourdes Dávalos with the challenges faced by athletes on the island, who are compelled to play in poorly maintained stadiums, where cancelled tournaments due to lack of funding are common and talent migration in search of better opportunities is prevalent.
It is to be expected that a sports representation agency like CurveBall generates revenue by retaining a percentage of the contracts signed by athletes with professional clubs, a strategy that could represent a new avenue for the Cuban regime to obtain foreign currency while maintaining control over the athletes.
On social media, in a post that she later deleted, Lourdes Dávalos stated that this business represents an opportunity to “internationalize” Cuban talent while maintaining ties with the island.
While CurveBall promises to "build bridges" between Cuban talent and international leagues, the true intentions of this agency will remain a topic of debate.
Is this a mechanism to facilitate the movement of players to the MLB, or is it merely a strategy to maintain economic control over them?
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