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By Dan Gooding and Hannah Parry
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A Venezuelan Little League Baseball team has been denied visas into the United States ahead of the Senior League Baseball World Series.
Little League International confirmed Friday that the Cacique Mara team, from Maracaibo, Venezuela, was set to compete in the tournament after winning the Latin American championship in Mexico. They will now be forced to miss the games.
Little League International called the decision "extremely disappointing, especially to these young athletes."
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Newsweek reached out to the U.S. State Department for comment via contact form Friday afternoon.
Why It Matters
The team's visas were reportedly denied based on the current travel ban issued by President Donald Trump in early June, which placed restrictions on Venezuelans seeking to enter the U.S., but did not involve a complete ban. The White House has said the restrictions are necessary for national security.
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What To Know
The Venezuelan team traveled to Colombia two weeks ago to apply for their visas at the U.S. embassy in Bogotá.
The Little League International's president in Venezuela, Kendrick Gutierrez, told the Associated Press that the team's request was denied because Venezuelans are considered a threat to U.S. national security.
The Senior League Baseball World Series, a tournament for players aged 13-16, is held annually in Easley, South Carolina. It begins Saturday. The tournament organizers replaced the Venezuelans with the Santa Maria de Aguayo team from Tamaulipas, Mexico, the team that was a runner-up in the Latin American championship.
Earlier in the month, the Cuban women's volleyball team was denied visas to participate in a tournament in Puerto Rico.
What People Are Saying
Little League International, in a statement to Newsweek: "While this is extremely disappointing, especially to these young athletes, the Little League International Tournament Committee has made the decision to advance the second place team, Santa Maria de Aguayo Little League (Victoria, Mexico), to participate in the Senior League Baseball World Series and ensure the Latin America Region is represented in the tournament and that the players, coaches, and families from Mexico are able to have a memorable World Series experience."
Little League International President Kendrick Gutierrez told the Associated Press: "I think this is the first time this has happened, but it shouldn't end this way. They're going to replace us with another team because relations have been severed; it's not fair. I don't understand why they put Mexico in at the last minute and left Venezuela out."
Cacique Mara, in a statement: "It is a mockery on the part of Little League to keep us here in Bogotá with the hope that our children can fulfill their dreams of participating in a world championship. What do we do with so much injustice, what do we do with the pain that was caused to our children?"
What Happens Next
The tournament is underway through August 2.
The travel ban may lead to other sports teams, players, or athletes being denied visas for the U.S., depending on their nationality.
This story includes reporting by the Associated Press.
Update 7/25/25, 2:54 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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