Venezuela “is able to guarantee the security and the realization of the games,” said the Venezuelan Minister of Sports, while rejecting the withdrawal of the event in the country due to political decisions.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports of Venezuela rejected on Monday the decision made on Sunday by the Confederation of Professional Baseball of the Caribbean (CBPC) to withdraw Venezuela for being the venue of the Caribbean Series 2019 to Venezuela for political reasons.
The Caribbean Series (Serie del Caribe) is the most important and old championship of baseball in the region where the champions of each country baseball championship compete to choose the best in the Caribbean. In this championship participate the teams of Mexico, Panama, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Cuba and Puerto Rico.
Through a statement, the minister of the agency, Pedro Infante, said that “the Government reported that the withdrawal of the venue is due to pressures generated by the Major League Baseball (MLB), in an action that demonstrates its support for the coup D’Etat that is being attempt in the nation, driven by the government of the United States.”
¡Rechazo Contundente! Desde Venezuela repudiamos la injusta decisión de la Confederación de Beisbol Profesional del Caribe que viola los principios fundamentales del deporte como instrumento de integración y respeto de nuestros pueblos. @NicolasMaduro pic.twitter.com/FpV6U50CpD
— Pedro Infante A. (@pinfantea) January 28, 2019
Infante stressed that “the country is able to guarantee the safety and the realization of the games of the Caribbean Series. (…) we reject that for the second consecutive year this event has been withdrawn from our country by a political decision.”
The Venezuelan official said that the Government of Venezuela will provide all its support to the team of the Cardinals of Lara to play the Caribbean Series at the new venue that is chosen.
This Sunday, the office of the Commissioner of the Confederation of Professional Baseball of the Caribbean, José Francisco Puello, reported the withdrawal of the headquarters to Barquisimeto and the rescheduling of the event, which will begin on February 4 due to the situation in Venezuela, he said. Uesterday night was announced that the new venue is going to be Panama.
President Maduro also show his rejection for the decision and strongly criticized the organization committee of the games during an event held in the Miraflores Palace on Monday night.
Translated by JRE/AR
