Washington, Nov 11 (Prensa Latina) The Hands Off Cuba Committee of Los Angeles launched a campaign urging the U.S. government to grant visas for the participation of Cuban athletes in the 2028 Olympic Games.
The campaign entitled Allow Cuban athletes to compete in the 2028 Olympic Games, warns that the current policy of the Donald Trump administration is to prevent Cuban teams and athletes from participating in the qualifying events for the multi-sport event that will take place here in just under three years.
According to the text, “this excludes Cuba from the Olympic Games. It is part of his campaign to prevent Cuban citizens from traveling to the United States,” the text of an open letter said.
He said this contradicts decades of previous practices by Washington and rules agreed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which is “strongly opposed to the denial of visas to athletes on the grounds of discrimination, including nationality.”
The IOC considers these actions a violation of the Olympic Charter, which promotes the right of all eligible athletes to compete without political interference.
He recalled that Cuba’s women’s national volleyball team was denied the right to travel to the pre-Olympic qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico and that the United States denied visas to the coaches of the Cuban youth softball team due to immigration restrictions imposed by Trump.
The Cuban men’s basketball team was banned from competing in a FIBA AmeriCup qualifier, also in Puerto Rico, while several Cuban Olympic officials were denied visas to attend meetings both in that country and in the city of Miami.
“This contradicts the spirit of the Olympic Games: to bring athletes together to foster mutual respect and understanding between nations,” he stressed.
The visa denial, he said, not only violates the right of Cuban athletes, but also the right of people living in the United States (regardless of their stance toward the Cuban government) to enjoy the talent they bring to the Games.
He said that guaranteeing the right of Cuban athletes to travel to the United States and Puerto Rico requires a campaign in their favor, which is why they demand that the IOC and its members comply with its Charter and that each of the island’s athletes be granted a visa “to participate in the Games. That they can compete!”
The Hands Off Cuba Committee proposes that the messages be sent to IOC members and that they get the support of personalities, celebrities and sports figures for this campaign, among other actions.
“While the Hands Off Cuba Committee in Los Angeles initiated this campaign, it will be a broad international crusade open to everyone on all continents,” said Mark Friedman, one of the coordinators of the solidarity group.
This truly international effort, Friedman argued, will open up new organizations to turn to to fight for visas and will allow us to better understand the impact of the U.S. blockade against Cuba.
To this end, we will promote communications on social networks through Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, the activist said, insisting that the objective is to exert maximum influence on IOC members “to pressure the U.S. government to grant visas to Cuban athletes.”
The 2028 Olympic Games will take place in Los Angeles from July 14 to 30, and it is the third time that the California city will host the summer event.
The opening and closing ceremonies are scheduled at the iconic Memorial Coliseum and the competition will include more than 35 sports, with novelties such as Flag Football, Cricket, Lacrosse and Squash, in addition to the return of Baseball and Softball to the Olympic program.
NPG/DFM
En Espanol
Camino a Los Ángeles 2028, campaña de visas para deportistas cubanos
FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THIS CAMPAIGN AND TO RECEIVE A LINK TO THE NOVEMBER 23 INTERNATIONAL VIDEO CALL SEND AN E-MAIL TO Mark Friedman or Brenda Lopez @: LA.US.HandsoffCuba@gmail.com or WhatsApp: +1 310 350 7515