A Venezuelan Little League team has been denied U.S. visas, with Little League International announcing that the team will not be able to participate in the 2025 Little League Senior Baseball World Series.
Cacique Mara, a team representing Maracaibo, earned its place by winning the Latin American region qualifying tournament in June. That event's runner-up, Santa María de Aguayo from Tamaulipas, Mexico, will replace the Venezuelan team at the Little League Senior Baseball World Series, which began on Saturday, July 26.
“The Cacique Mara Little League team from Venezuela was unfortunately unable to obtain the appropriate visas to travel to the Senior League Baseball World Series,” Little League International said in a statement, calling the development “extremely disappointing, especially to these young athletes.”
“It is a mockery on the part of Little League to keep us here in Bogotá with the hope that our children can fulfill their dreams of participating in a world championship,” the team said in a statement to the Associated Press. “What do we do with so much injustice, what do we do with the pain that was caused to our children?”
The Little League Senior Baseball World Series is a different event than the Little League World Series that takes place in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, with the Senior version involving players aged 13-16 and play taking place on a larger field. The Senior Baseball World Series is being held in Easley, South Carolina, from July 26 to Aug. 2. The more well-known Little League World Series, which is for players aged 10-12, is set for Aug. 13-24.
