logo
Venezuelan Little League team unable to participate in World Series after visa denial

Venezuelan Little League team unable to participate in World Series after visa denial

Fox News2 days ago
A Little League team in Venezuela will be unable to participate in the Senior Little League World Series after their travel visas to the United States were denied.
The Cacique Mara team, from Maracaibo, Venezuela, was scheduled to participate in the tournament after winning the Latin American championship in Mexico.
However, Venezuela is among a list of countries with restrictions on entering the U.S., and President Donald Trump has banned travel to the U.S. from 12 other countries, citing national security concerns.
The Senior League Baseball World Series, a tournament for players aged 13-16, is played each year in Easley, South Carolina, and begins on Saturday.
"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, adding that it is "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 of their own. "What do we do with so much injustice, what do we do with the pain that was caused to our children?"
The tournament organizers replaced the Venezuelans with the Santa Maria de Aguayo team from Tamaulipas, Mexico, the team that was a runner-up in the Latin American championship.
The Venezuelan team traveled to Colombia two weeks ago to apply for their visas at the U.S. embassy in Bogotá.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

CC Sabathia's Hall of Fame induction reminder of enduring impact on Yankees culture
CC Sabathia's Hall of Fame induction reminder of enduring impact on Yankees culture

New York Post

time2 hours ago

  • New York Post

CC Sabathia's Hall of Fame induction reminder of enduring impact on Yankees culture

COOPERSTOWN — When Brian Cashman recruited CC Sabathia to play in New York prior to the 2009 season, he knew it would take more than just the promise of trying to win and a giant contract. 'I told him and Amber [Sabathia's wife] we would make them comfortable in New York,'' Cashman said Sunday, just prior to Sabathia's induction speech. 'I looked him in the eye — and threw a ton of money at him — but I knew he wasn't sure about playing in New York. I think we both fulfilled our promise. He became a Hall of Fame pitcher and he and his family were just fine in New York. We both fulfilled our promise.' If Sabathia's speech Sunday was any indication, Cashman's approach was the right one, since the big lefty spent nearly his entire 12-minute speech thanking the women in his life, from his wife to his mother Margie, both of whom were in attendance, to his grandmother and many aunts. While Sabathia noted that he'd shown his appreciation for his father Corky, who died early in Sabathia's career, he went out of his way to tell stories about people he believed may have been overshadowed. 6 CC Sabathia looking at his Hall of Fame Plaque during the National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Cooperstown, New York on July 27. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post From throwing grapefruits in his grandmother's backyard as a youngster, which is where Sabathia said he first 'realized I could throw hard,' Sabathia consistently brought up 'the village of women who raised me … and a few times literally saved me.' It was his mother, Sabathia said, who taught him to become a fan of the game and brought the native of Vallejo, Calif., to A's games at the Oakland Coliseum, where Sabathia watched the 1989 World Series-winning team that included fellow Hall of Fame inductee Dave Parker, who died just a month before the ceremony. His father helped teach Sabathia the game, but Margie was a significant part of his growth, as well. 'My mom loved the game, too,'' Sabathia said. 'She'd put the catching gear on and catch me in the backyard. My mom is the reason I'm a baseball fan. And fans turn into players who sometimes turn into Hall of Famers.' 6 CC Sabathia speaking during the National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Cooperstown, New York. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post 6 CC Sabathia's plaque that will hang in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post Sabathia's path to Cooperstown began in Cleveland, where he spent the first eight-plus seasons of his career after being a first-round pick of the organization in 1998. And he solidified his status as an ace in 2008, after being traded to Milwaukee, where he consistently pitched on short rest to lead the Brewers to the postseason — even with free agency approaching. But it was in The Bronx where Sabathia cemented his Hall of Fame credentials, pitching the final 11 seasons of his career and leading the Yankees to the 2009 World Series title. 6 CC Sabathia posing for a photo after the National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post 'We had a very high assessment of him as a pitcher and that was obviously met, even before he was a Hall of Famer,'' Cashman said. Cashman credited Sabathia for changing the culture of the team at the time. 'I thought we had, in some ways, a broken clubhouse, and he had a reputation as a connector,'' Cashman said. 'He made a fantastic impact.' That impact continues today, with his former teammates still citing Sabathia as an example for how they play. 6 Yankees starting pitcher CC Sabathia throws a pitch during a game against the Rangers on Oct. 20, 2010. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post 6 CC Sabathia reacts after getting out of trouble in the 6th inning in an ALCS game against the Rangers in 2010. Neil Miller Prior to his IL stint, Aaron Judge said Sabathia's performance in 2019, when he pitched out of the bullpen in the postseason until his shoulder gave out, is a reason why he puts his body at risk in the outfield. 'Watching him go out there hurt and then basically throw until his arm came off, you can't help but be motivated by that,'' Judge said of Sabathia, who entered Game 4 of the ALCS against the Astros while pitching with left shoulder soreness and walked off the mound with a subluxation of his left shoulder. 'That last run was a great example,'' Judge said. 'He threw literally until he couldn't throw anymore. I'll never forget that. We didn't finish it that year, but he knew if we were gonna get there, it was gonna take all of your body and soul.' And on Sunday, it landed Sabathia in the Hall of Fame.

Galt little league team earns trip to Cal Ripken World Series, seeks community help to get there
Galt little league team earns trip to Cal Ripken World Series, seeks community help to get there

CBS News

time2 hours ago

  • CBS News

Galt little league team earns trip to Cal Ripken World Series, seeks community help to get there

The eight-and-under Galt all-stars baseball team is getting ready to slide into the Cal Ripken World Series next month all the way in New Jersey. Everyone is pitching in to try and get the Galt All-Stars to the eight under Cal Ripken World Series in New Jersey. This is only the second time in Galt's sports history that a team is headed to the big stage, and parents and coaches are calling on the community to get them there. "Last year we got beat," said Coach Richard Savage. "I didn't think we were regional champs, I hoped that we would be competitive." Savage is using his own personal baseball diamond to teach his all-stars, now under eight regional champions. "But in the end, whoever has their best game on their best day ends up winning, and that's us," Savage said. "Couple coaches joked about it on Sunday, and on Monday, I had an invitation." An invitation to the World Series as Pacific Southwest Regional Champions. "A lot of 'em didn't know there was such thing as world series. They thought that was it, we did it," he said. "We threw it out to the parents and they said all in, and they said all in. Most of 'em said it's a once-in-a-lifetime, and we said all in." A team of 12 is getting the chance to put Galt on the map. "There's a team from China, across the pond, a team from Mexico, it's a world series," he said. But now there's the catch of paying to get to New Jersey. "Nobody thought last week we'd be spending four grand to fly across the country," Savage said. "We all know we're going to have to come out of pocket. We're not asking for a free ride, we just need some help." Savage and coaches calling for the community to pinch hit their hopes and get them to play ball. "Cross country just to play baseball is going to be huge for them," he said. "They fight back, never give up, that's what's great about this group of 8-year-olds." Savage said there will be a fundraising event on Thursday in Galt where people can come out and support the team to make their field of dreams become a reality. Savage said there will be a fundraising event on Friday at Back Alleys in Galt, where people can come out and support the team to make their field of dreams become a reality. They also have an online fundraiser.

Trump's EU deal averts disaster. But few are cheering
Trump's EU deal averts disaster. But few are cheering

CNN

time2 hours ago

  • CNN

Trump's EU deal averts disaster. But few are cheering

The United States and the European Union avoided the worst-case scenario: a damaging, all-out trade war between allies that threatened to raise prices on a large number of goods and slow two of the world's largest economies. The framework delivered a sense of relief for both sides – but few are cheering the arrangement itself. The agreement, which sets a 15% tariff on most European goods entering the United States, is higher than the 10% tariff Trump put in place on April 2 and significantly higher than the average of around 1.2% from before Trump's presidency. But it's significantly less than the enormous numbers Trump had been threatening if an agreement wasn't reached. A deal with the United States felt like an impossibility in late May. Frustrated by a lack of progress in negotiations with the 27-member European Union, Trump on May 24 told the world he was done talking to some of America's strongest allies. 'Our discussions with them are going nowhere!' Trump posted on Truth Social. 'I'm not looking for a deal,' he said later that day in the Oval Office. 'We've set the deal — it's at 50%.' The statement — and the shockingly high tariff threat — stunned European trade negotiators and rallied Europe's leaders into action. They quickly agreed to kick talks into high gear. Trump, who has taken a particular liking to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, was swayed after she called him to say the EU would commit to moving 'swiftly and decisively.' Trump soon backed off his threat and said negotiations would continue. But a deal between the United States and the European Union, one of America's top trading partners, had remained elusive for months. The two sides squabbled over America's insistence on high tariffs for steel and aluminum, looming tariffs on pharmaceuticals and the tariff floor for virtually all goods that the Trump administration appears set to raise to 15%. Negotiators were unable to come up with a resolution before the initial July 9 deadline — one of the reasons the Trump administration postponed the effective day for its 'reciprocal' tariffs to August 1. With just days to go before the extended deadline, while Trump was visiting Scotland, he met with van der Leyen and finalized a framework for an agreement — one that was thin on details, heavy on caveats, but was nevertheless a hard-sought relief for both sides. With the agreement in place, two of the world's largest economies avoided a potential economically crippling trade war. The United States held a 50% tariff threat over Europe's head, and Europe threatened America with strategic retaliatory tariffs that threatened to damage key US industries. Both sides appeared to embrace the fact that a deal was in place more than they celebrated it. 'We made it,' Trump said while announcing the deal with von der Leyen. 'It's going to work out really well.' 'I think we hit exactly the point we wanted to find,' von der Leyen said. 'Rebalance but enable trade on both sides. Which means good jobs on both sides of the Atlantic, means prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic and that was important for us.' Markets cheered, somewhat: Dow futures rose 150 points, or 0.3%, poised to open near record territory. S&P 500 futures gained 0.3% and Nasdaq futures were 0.4% higher. The United States and Europe 'seem to have avoided a self-destructive trade war for now in the biggest and deepest commercial and investment relationship the global economy knows,' said Jörn Fleck, senior director of the Atlantic Council's Europe Center. Nevertheless, the details remain murky. Europe will increase its investment in the United States by $600 billion and commit to buying $750 billion worth of US energy products. It eliminates tariffs on a variety of items, including aircraft and plane parts, semiconductors, generic drugs and some chemicals and agricultural products. Maury Obstfeld, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, note many of those investments were already in place. And the agreement appears to do little to eliminate the EU's non-tariff barriers, such as value-added and digital taxes that the Trump administration had railed against. 'There are many things that puzzle me about this agreement,' Obstfeld said. Industries in the zero-tariff arrangement cheered. 'The zero-for-zero tariff regime will grow jobs, strengthen our economic security and provide a framework for U.S. leadership in manufacturing and safety,' Airlines for America said in a statement. But the 15% baseline tariff applies to most goods, so the EU member states – and American importers — will have to come to terms with the fact that higher tariffs will raise prices for European goods in America. 'You're going to pay more for your European imports. That's what this means,' said Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM. 'This doesn't enhance trade, this just sets a tax on European goods in the United States.' The agreement also deals another blow to Detroit automakers, which objected to a similar deal the Trump administration reached with Japan. The 15% auto tariff on EU cars imported to the United States undercuts the 25% tariff American automakers pay if their cars are built in Mexico. Although von der Leyen said pharmaceuticals were included in the early framework, she acknowledged that Trump may ultimately place higher tariffs on drugs imported to the United States, undercutting the agreement. Still, in the eyes of the hard-working negotiators — and for the sake of the global economy — a deal is better than no deal. 'We avoid a tit-for-tat retaliation between Washington and Brussels that would've spilled over into the far more important services sector,' Brusuelas said. Now comes the hard part: figuring out the details. CNN's Matt Egan contributed to this report.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store