Three of the four Cuban athletes who left their delegation during the Junior Pan American Games in Asunción 2025 have reappeared in a video shared on social media, in which they express their gratitude for the support received and confirm that they are "healthy, safe, and in a calm place."
The young rowers had been reported missing on August 13 after failing to return to the hotel where the Cuban delegation was staying.
Since then, his whereabouts were unknown and the police of Paraguay had been alerted by the sports authorities of the island.
In the video, the athletes are seen sitting on a sofa, accompanied by two other Cubans residing in Paraguay who have temporarily taken on their care.
One of the companions, Carlos Carrera, identified as a member of the Paraguayan Academy of Mixology, states: “They realized that they are not alone in their new life that is just beginning.”
Acknowledgments and solidarity support
In the video, one of the athletes spoke up to express gratitude.
"I want to thank the Paraguayan people and all the individuals who are supporting us at this moment, as well as the brotherly Cuban community that is helping us now. Thank you very much for everything you are doing for us. We are eternally grateful for the help you are providing," he stated.
The hosts assure that they have been guaranteed accommodation and food, and that in the coming days they will begin a “solidarity aid” initiative to collect clothing and other necessary items, considering that the young people—approximately 21 years old and over two meters tall—left everything behind.
Carlos Carrera also reported that the athletes are scared and fear being arrested and sent back to Cuba, which is why they have not yet begun the asylum process.
"They are waiting to have legal counsel to begin the process before Conare," he added.
Although the athletes were not identified in the video, various sources confirm that they are the rowers Félix Puente Batista, Robert Landy Fernández, and Keiler Ávila Núñez, who had even won a bronze medal in the coxed eight event before defecting.
Voluntary abandonment and asylum application plans
The Paraguayan Interior Minister, Enrique Riera, confirmed on August 14 that four Cuban athletes did not return to the hotel assigned to the delegation and that it could be a case of voluntary defection.
In statements to ABC Cardinal radio, Riera specified: “They have not yet made any arrangements with Conare (National Commission of Stateless Persons and Refugees), but for now, that is the presumption we have.”
In addition to the three rowers, the desertion would also involve handball player Suannet de la Caridad Nápoles, who does not appear in the video and has not been located.
To this group was later added the judoka Jonathan Delgado, whose escape triggered a reinforcement in police operations, as stated by the Cuban activist Harche Reyes to the Paraguayan outlet ABC.
“The persecution of these kids has increased… until they all leave, we can't close the numbers because there will be more athletes looking to escape repression and have a free life,” warned Reyes, suggesting that there could be new defections in the coming days.
Context of a repeated escape
The defections of Cuban athletes at international events are not new. In recent decades, at least 800 athletes have left their delegations in search of better living conditions.
Among them are notable baseball figures like Aroldis Chapman, Yoenis Céspedes, and José Abreu, who later achieved success in foreign leagues.
The reappearance of these young people in Paraguay fits into this historical pattern, but with the contemporary nuance of the immediate visibility provided by social media and the support of an active and caring migrant community.
Filed under:
