Let’s imagine Cuba refusing to host athletes from the United States in response to the cruel effects of the economic, commercial, and financial embargo imposed on it for more than six decades by successive U.S. governments.

Or imagine that, to travel to the island, a team from the United States has to do without key personnel essential to its overall operation, such as coaches, federation officials, travel managers, or scouts, to name just a few.

It's easy to guess the reaction, which would be logical. It’s equally unacceptable that eight members of the Cuban delegation were denied visas to participate in the VI World Baseball Classic, with the decision being "justified" by discriminatory positions based on falsehoods such as the claim that Cuba does not cooperate with the United States on immigration matters.

Among those who will be unable to fulfill their mission, should Cuba ultimately participate (its federation announced it will analyze how to proceed), is the experienced pitching coach Pedro Luis Lazo, holder of the record for most wins in the Cuban National Series (257).

"It's truly difficult to understand why political criteria are being used in a matter like this, because we are athletes, who have nothing to do with these issues, regardless of the angle they choose to take," he stated.

The well-known "Pinar del Río Skyscraper" also emphasized the role to play of the other affected members by the U.S. government position. "All roles are important, and the organizers don't identify these roles for the staff for nothing," he concluded.

"Now it's time to fine-tune our work and continue supporting the team for the remainder of their stay in Nicaragua, where the fourth and final preparation match will be played this Friday, and then from a distance, if Cuba ends up attending," he said.

His colleague, Jesús Bosmenier, considered the decision unfair, which, among other consequences, will prevent the continuation of the work they had both designed. "We already had a good coordination established, with Lazo in the bullpen, taking advantage of his knowledge, experience, and excellent relationships with the players," he pointed out.

For his part, the president of the Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation, Juan Reinaldo Pérez Pardo—also denied a visa—said that this situation adds to a preparatory process "much more arduous than the previous one," given irregularities such as late notifications from the organizers and an agreement with clauses specific to his country, based on government regulations.

When asked about the problems caused by excluding the eight members of the staff who were prevented from attending the tournament, he explained that it means being unable to have the right people to fulfill the functions assigned to the delegation, which will force them to distribute those functions among the few available officials, who are not specialized in those relevant fields.

However, although he acknowledged the team's resentment, he categorically stated that "their fighting spirit is high, with a very positive attitude, and their response has been to reaffirm their intention to put on a good show in defense of our colors, in pursuit of a respectable place in the ranking."

Meanwhile, on Thursday, the preparations for the team facing Nicaragua were limited to pitchers committed to the World Baseball Classic, including Liván Moinelo, Frank Abel Álvarez, and Raidel Martínez.

The series was tied at one win, following the tie that marked the opening game.