Cuban Athletics Federation Denounces Mass Visa Denials by U.S.

HAVANA, Cuba, Apr 4 (ACN) The Cuban Athletics Federation (FCA) denounced the massive denial of visas by the U.S. Embassy in Havana, which prevented nearly its entire delegation from participating in the 2025 World Masters Indoor Athletics Championships, held in Gainesville, Florida, from March 23 to 30.

In an official statement, the FCA reported that only two members of the Cuban delegation—both U.S. residents—were able to compete, while the remaining 14 (12 athletes, one delegate, and one journalist) were barred due to visa rejections.

The federation condemned the move as an "absurd action that undermines the spirit of sports and reflects discriminatory treatment."

The FCA explained that the process began on January 27, when the 16-member delegation was formed. Immediate steps were taken to secure passports and visa applications for the 14 non-U.S. residents. However, during interviews at the U.S. Embassy on February 25, four applicants were denied visas.

The final blow came on March 31, when the embassy returned the passports of the remaining ten applicants—also with visa denials. By then, the event had already concluded, leaving only the two U.S.-based athletes able to participate, the federation lamented.

The Cuban athletics body held U.S. authorities directly responsible for crushing the aspirations of athletes who had trained for months for the competition. It stressed that this measure contradicts the principles of neutrality and cooperation that should govern international sporting events.

"It is unacceptable for a host country of a global event to act with political bias, denying opportunities to athletes who met all requirements," the FCA stated, without mentioning whether an official explanation was provided for the denials.

As of now, the U.S. Embassy in Cuba has not commented on the matter.

The World Masters Indoor Championships brings together veteran athletes aged 35 and older in events such as high jump, track races, and throwing disciplines. For Cuba—whose delegation included retired regional and Olympic medalists—the exclusion marks a severe setback in its international sports presence.

The Cuban sports body concluded by demanding respect for athletes' rights and warning that it will escalate the case to organizations like World Athletics to prevent such incidents in future events.