The president of the Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB), Juan Reinaldo Perez Pardo informed Monday that Cuba has not said that it would reject an alleged invitation to the Caribbean Series in Miami 2024.
The executive clarified that since this year’s edition, held in Venezuela, the FCB had expressed interest in attending the next one, despite the fact that the venue is a hostile scenario for Cuban sports delegations, as it happened in the 2021 Pre-Olympic and the World Classic last March.
However, the Caribbean Confederation of Professional Baseball (CBPC) and the organizing committee of the 2024 series announced that they would issue invitations only to Nicaragua and Curacao to hold a six-team joust at the Miami Marlins’ Loan Depot Park stadium.
Shortly after the official launching of the tournament in the Florida city, it was reported that the possibility of repeating the eight-team, two-venue format used for the first time in Venezuela is being considered.
Juan Francisco Puello, president of the CBPC, the governing body of the Caribbean tournament, told the press that “there is interest and we decided to study the possibility of enlarging the tournament” in Miami, although he clarified that “nothing has been decided yet” and declined to mention candidates.
Several media indicate that the options of Colombia, Panama, an Asian club and another one from North America are being considered, while Cuba was ruled out.
The 2023 edition was the first to be held with eight teams since the founding of the Caribbean Series in 1949.
Along with the champion club of the winter leagues of the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Venezuelan host, participants in their own right, representatives from Curacao, Panama, Colombia and Cuba participated as guests.
While waiting for a definition on the issue of Miami 2024, Pérez Pardo also ratified Cuba’s willingness to dialogue with the CBPC, and the will to achieve full membership in the confederation that groups the best winter leagues in the Caribbean.
