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An outbreak of stomach issues forced the cancellation of the match between the Cazadores de Artemisa and the Leñadores de Las Tunas, part of the IV Elite League of Cuban Baseball (LEBC), which was scheduled to take place in Las Tunas as the host venue.
The Cuban Baseball Federation (FCBS) reported that members of both teams are ill and that health authorities in the Tunero region are already working on the medical care of those involved.
So far, no new date has been set for the rescheduling of the meeting, nor has there been any information on the extent of the outbreak or the exact number of players affected.
The official cause was not detailed, but fans commenting on the news in state media pointed directly to food poisoning.
A user identified as Epifanio wrote: "Food poisoning, it even affected the referees." Another, under the pseudonym Yo, noted: "Many power outages and spoiled food are killing our teams; we have to take care of them, that’s dangerous."
The logic of the context supports those suspicions: the blackouts plaguing Cuba damage the cold chain of food, and athletes are not exempt from this reality.
The incident is not the first of its kind. In August 2025, the baseball team from Santiago de Cuba suspended training due to a lack of food and snacks for the players.
In November 2025, a game of the National Series was directly suspended due to a blackout that prevented it from taking place.
In July 2025, the National Institute of Sports (INDER) acknowledged before the National Assembly that more than 50% of the competitions on the sports calendar had been canceled due to the energy crisis and food shortages.
The suspension this Saturday occurs, moreover, on a day when Las Tunas had already played another match: the Leñadores crushed Artemisa 16-1 by super knockout, with 20 hits, closing in on the leadership of the IV LEBC.
At the end of the day, the standings showed the Leones de Industriales at the top with a record of 7-3, followed by Las Tunas and Artemisa tied at 5-4, 1.5 games behind the leader.
The IV Elite League kicked off on May 2 with six teams —Industriales, Artemisa, Las Tunas, Matanzas, Mayabeque, and Holguín— amid the worst energy and food crisis in Cuba in decades, with blackouts exceeding a 1,500 MW deficit and power cuts lasting up to 48 hours in several provinces.
The FCBS indicated that it is expected to provide more details regarding the health status of the players and the remainder of the IV LEBC schedule in the coming hours, with the qualifying phase extending until June 19.
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