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Cuba approved a law that for the first time in its history allows Cuban and foreign individuals who do not reside on the Island to participate in the guidance, promotion, and development of the Cuban sports system, including the integration of national teams, without requiring permanent residency.
According to Prensa Latina, Karel Luis Pachot Zambrana, legal director of INDER, stated that this is the first comprehensive sports regulation in the history of Cuba.
The leader clarified that it includes activities such as physical education, sports, physical activity, and recreation, and any initiative must conform to the country's legal framework, including immigration legislation and international treaties.
The Law 179 of the Cuban Sports System was published in the Official Gazette on January 13 and will come into effect on May 13, following its approval in the National Assembly in July.
The regulation establishes that national sports federations have exclusive authority to select athletes and technical staff for national teams, and that permanent residency in Cuba will not be required to be part of these teams.
This breaks decades of restrictions that prevented emigrated athletes or those residing abroad from representing the country, a reality that has led to more than 635 Cuban baseball players leaving the country in recent years.
However, those who have been sanctioned with temporary separation or expulsion from the sports system will not be eligible.
The brain drain of sports talent has been a constant: nearly 40 prospects signed with MLB during the 2024-2025 season, a trend that the new legislation aims to reverse by allowing the participation of emigrants in national teams.
Another significant change is the formalization for the first time of advertising and sponsorship in Cuban sports, practices that, according to Pachot Zambrana, "were previously conducted in an exceptional manner."
Now accredited foreign economic actors will be able to participate in sponsorship activities, and the contracts will be governed by Cuban law.
"The status of being a national or foreigner does not limit the possibility of participating in sponsorship activities within sports on the Island," the executive stated.
This opening is set against a broader context in which the Cuban regime seeks investments from Cubans abroad and from foreign companies to alleviate its deep economic crisis.
The government also opens the door for emigrants to invest in the Island in other sectors, as part of a series of measures aimed at attracting foreign currency from the diaspora.
In the sports arena, it is worth noting that Cuba obtained more than 2.3 million dollars from athlete contracts in 2025, which highlights the economic interest behind the new regulations.
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