LIMA, Peru – Following the exclusion of the Cuban team from the 2026 Caribbean Series, soon to finally take place in Mexico, the Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation (FCBS) issued a statement this Sunday considering the fact as “disrespectful.”
The sports authorities of the Island point out that although the invitation received was generated from Venezuela, as the original venue for this edition, it was endorsed by the Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation (CBPC), governing body of the tournament.
Latin Pressla entidad caribeña no ha sostenido comunicación alguna con la FCBS. This last organization emphasized that the change of scenario does not justify Cuba’s non-participation and demanded respectful treatment.
“Such an important decision, which destroys the established commitments and the design approved by our country to assume it,” declares the FCBS.
The 2026 Caribbean Series will finally be played in Guadalajara, Mexico, from February 1 to 8, following the CBPC’s decision to withdraw the venue originally awarded to Venezuela. As a consequence of this relocation and the reorganization of the format, Cuba will not participate in the tournament, an exclusion that adds to its absence in recent editions and that once again leaves Cuban baseball out of the main regional club event.
The CBPC confirmed that the tournament It will be held at the Pan-American Stadium in Zapopan, home of the Charros de Jalisco, and will have a reduced format. The participating teams will be the champions of the winter leagues of the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, two representatives from Mexico – the finalists of the Mexican Pacific League 2025-2026 – and Panama as a guest country. Cuba does not appear in this scheme, nor does the champion of the Venezuelan league.
The transfer of the headquarters It occurred after Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico communicated their refusal to play in Venezuela, citing “external situations beyond their control.” Although no detailed explanations were offered, the decision forced the CBPC to look for a new venue and redefine the structure of the tournament. Guadalajara was selected as a viable alternative, but the change involved adjustments that left out participants who were initially contemplated when the venue was Caracas.
When the 2026 Caribbean Series was scheduled to take place in Venezuela, Cuban participation had been considered as part of the guests, a possibility that was diluted after the reconfiguration of the tournament in Mexican territory.
Cuba’s last history in the Caribbean Series dates back to 2023when the Farmers team represented the Island in Venezuela. That participation ended marked by a negative balance: six defeats and only one victory, the worst result for a Cuban team in the history of the tournament. Since then, the institutional presence of Cuban baseball in this competition has been intermittent and increasingly limited.
