The rain has washed away the game between the United States and Cuba in the World Baseball Classic. Although the game could be played this Sunday afternoon at the LoanDepot Park in Miami, for the Cuban spectators the intense downpours in Havana, together with the blackouts, made it difficult to enjoy a game that ended 14-2 in favor of the United States. The most important “plays”, however, did not occur on the field.
A “beating” of posters was seen throughout the game and an important moment was when the artist Danilo Maldonado, Sixth, took to the ground to protest with one that said: “Freedom for the Cuban prisoners of July 11.” Instantly, hundreds of people began to shout “Freedom” to support the artist, who was promptly taken off the field by stadium security.
Almost at the end of the game, the writer and journalist Carlos Manuel Álvarez jumped onto the field and ran a stretch raising the Cuban flag. At another time, a fan was also seen who entered the field but did not carry anything in his hands. Both were approached by security personnel and some referees, and taken off the field.
#WorldClassicBaseball #Update The artist Danilo Maldonado, ‘El Sexto’, jumps onto the ground to protest with a poster that reads: “Freedom for the Cuban prisoners of July 11”. The current marker: #Cuba 2 #USA 13 pic.twitter.com/qBHZGyuI39
— 14ymedio (@14ymedio) March 20, 2023
Meanwhile, in Cuba since the day before the sky did not bode well for Havana. The constant rains capsized the official plan to install giant screens in some nerve centers of the city. La Piragua was a flooded area with kiosks closed just a few minutes before the start of the game, while some spectators took refuge in the closed room of the Yara cinema to follow the historic confrontation on its big screen.
“There were a few minutes left, the friends were already together and we had even made an effort and bought some beers but the power went out,” lamented Joseíto, a resident of the La Timba neighborhood in the municipality of Plaza de la Revolución who was wearing “a week preparing to not have any interruption” this Sunday afternoon and enjoy the World Baseball Classic, but the lack of electricity canceled their plans.
Shortly after the match began, the shouts of “Patria y Vida”, “Libertad” and “Díaz-Canel singao” could be heard through the transmission of the Tele Rebelde channel and, despite the fact that the camera closed the shot or avoided Focusing part of the public behind the Home area, you could also read signs with the phrase “Cuba Libre”, “Down with the dictatorship”, and a man with a T-shirt that showed a prohibited sign on Ernesto’s face Che Guevara. Between game breaks, the regime did not stop running electoral advertising on television.
When USA scored 9 runs at the bottom of the fifth inningInfluencer Alex Otaola was also seen on national television behind the Home area carrying a sign in his hands with the phrase “The street is the way.” Shortly after, the singer Dianelys Alfonso, The goddesswith another message in his hands: “Freedom”.
Before the match began, around 50 people demonstrated against “the dictatorship and in favor of the people of Cuba” around the stadium.
The Democracy Movement, convener of the protest, placed a series of photographs of children with their names and white crosses and a banner that read: “Castro, do you recognize these children? You must recognize them because you murdered them,” in reference to the “slaughter of the tug” March 13, as it is known.
Another banner, this one in English, and with a heading that read “dictator Castro and president Biden”, collected the demands of the Democracy Movement and other exile organizations: freedom of all political prisoners, including “children”, free elections and the end of the division of Cuban families.”
If these requirements are met, “then we will play too,” said the poster in a reference to the World Cup in Miami with the participation of Cuba for the first time in more than two decades.
After this semifinal between the USA and Cuba, Mexico and Japan will play on Monday to define the other team that will play the final on Tuesday.
________________________
Collaborate with our work:
The team of 14ymedio He is committed to doing serious journalism that reflects the reality of deep Cuba. Thank you for accompanying us on this long road. We invite you to continue supporting us, but this time becoming a member of our newspaper. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
