Why isn’t Cuba playing in the 2024 Caribbean Series?

The Caribbean Series is an annual baseball tournament that brings together the champions of seven professional leagues from the Caribbean region. The 2024 edition will be held in Miami, Florida, at LoanDepot Park, the home of the Miami Marlins. This will be the first time that the Caribbean Series will be hosted outside of Latin America, and the first time that it will be played at a Major League Baseball stadium.

However, one notable absence from the 2024 Caribbean Series is Cuba, a country with a rich baseball history and tradition. Cuba was a founding member of the Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation (CBPC), the governing body of the Caribbean Series, and participated in the tournament from 1949 to 1960, and then again from 2014 to 2019.

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So why is Cuba not playing in the 2024 Caribbean Series?

The main reason is that Cuba is no longer a full member of the CBPC and, therefore, is not eligible to participate in the tournament. Cuba withdrew from the CBPC in 2019, citing visa issues and political tensions with the United States, which prevented the Cuban team from traveling to the host country. Cuba also claimed that it was not satisfied with the financial and organizational aspects of the CBPC, and that it wanted to have more autonomy and independence in its baseball affairs.

The CBPC has stated that it is open to Cuba’s return, but only if Cuba agrees to comply with the rules and regulations of the CBPC, and if the political situation between Cuba and the United States improves.

Watch the Caribbean Series 2024 live stream on FuboTV (free trial available)