A campaign under the name Allow Cuban athletes to compete in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games was announced this Tuesday in the United States, in order for the Government of that country to guarantee the granting of visas to the athletes classified for that multi-sports event.
The initiative, promoted by the Hands off Cuba Committee, warns about the risks involved in the current policy of Donald Trump’s Administration, which until now has prevented the participation of athletes and teams from the island in qualifying events for that event, highlights a report from the agency Latin Press (PL).
#Nationals || The Hands Off Committee #Cubafrom Los Angeles, launched a campaign urging the United States Government to grant visas for the participation of Cuban athletes in the 2028 Olympic Gameshttps://t.co/AC6uoeTIyx
— Prensa Latina (@PrensaLatina_cu) November 11, 2025
The published text indicates that “this excludes Cuba from the Olympics. It is part of their campaign to prevent Cuban citizens from traveling to the United States.”
In that sense, it is explained that the current situation contradicts decades of previous practices by Washington and the norms agreed upon by the International Olympic Committee (IOC)which “firmly opposes the denial of visas to athletes on the basis of discrimination, including nationality.”
The IOC considers these actions to be a violation of the Olympic Charter, which promotes the right of all eligible athletes to compete without political interference.
In its campaign, the organization demands that the island’s athletes’ right to travel to the United States and Puerto Rico be respected, and that the IOC and its members comply with their Charter.
Cuban Olympic Committee protests against new denial of visas to the United States
Global order
Mark Fiedman, one of the coordinators of the initiative from the Californian city, explained that “Although the Hands off Cuba Committee of Los Angeles initiated this campaign, it will be a broad international crusade open to everyone on all continents.”
To achieve this, the activist added, publications will be promoted on the main social networks as a strategy to exert maximum influence on the IOC members, so that they “put pressure on the US government”, responsible for guaranteeing visas.
The Hands off Cuba Committee aims to obtain the support of personalities, celebrities and sports figures.
Worrying history
The campaign of the solidarity committee with Cuba was born based on recent events that in recent months have prevented the participation of athletes and managers from the island in events organized on US territory.
Therefore, they argue that the visa denial, in addition to the right of Cuban athletes, violates the right of people living in the United States to enjoy the talent they contribute to the Games, regardless of the position towards the Cuban Government.
In that sense, they cited as examples the situation of the Cuban men’s basketball team, which was not able to compete in a FIBA AmeriCup qualifier.
Official: Cuban basketball without visas to travel to Puerto Rico
That competition was held in Puerto Rico, a territory to which you must travel with US visas, and where members of the Cuban Olympic Committee (COC) could not travel to participate in a meeting of the continental sports organization.
The same position of the White House prevented the incursion of the Cuban women’s volleyball team in a NORCECA tournament, also based in Puerto Rico, as well as that of a Brazilian tennis player in a competition in the United States, where they prevented him from entering for participating before in one organized on the island.
Last July, the situation led the highest authorities at Inder to express concern about an issue that could “dynamite” Cuba’s presence in Los Angeles 2028, which will be held from July 14 to 30 of that year.
“If the US Government maintains its policy of denying visas, preventing us from attending competitions in its territory, we simply will not go and do other things,” said Raúl Fornés Valenciano, first vice president of the organization, in a interview granted to the site Cubadebate.
The US once again denies visas to a Cuban team and INDER begins to doubt going to Los Angeles 2028
The same concerns hover over the issue of participation in the next World Baseball Classic, since the MLB – part of the tournament organization – has not yet received permission from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac), an essential step for the official invitation to the Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation (FCBS).
The program for that tournament provides that the Cuban team begins its presentations in Puerto Rico and if it qualifies for the next round, it moves to the United States, for which it would need a visa issued by the Department of State.
