The seven Cuban athletes who escaped at the Pan American Games have not yet gone to the Chilean authorities with any type of request, but they are legally in the country. As stated to the media Third the Undersecretary of the Interior, Manuel Monsalve, both the hockey players Yunia Milanés, Jennifer Martínez, Yakira Guillén, Lismary González, Helec Carta and Geidy Morales, as well as the hurdler Yoao Illas – who won a bronze medal – “have a visa that allows them to be in Chile for 90 days”.
Monsalve specified that even “this visa can be renewed for 90 more days” if the athletes so require, which would rule out deportation.
So far, none of the seven Cubans who left the island’s delegation have approached the Chilean authorities, Government Minister Camila Vallejo commented to the same medium.
“None of these athletes has presented any type of request,” explained the official, who stressed that “if there is any request, it must be channeled through the relevant institutions, in this case, the National Immigration Service.”
Vallejo accepted that although there is concern in the case of escaped Cuban athletes, “it is not up to us to override the procedures that are stipulated for this type of case.”
Meanwhile, the deputy of Renovación Nacional (right), Diego Schalper, asked the Government of Gabriel Boric to grant them political asylum, which would show “a clear signal in defense of human rights and democracy,” in addition to that Law 20,430 on refugees in Chile can be applied without any objection.
The president of the Communist Party, Lautaro Carmona, blamed the US embargo for the abandonment of athletes on the island. “Who creates these conditions, if not the blocking economic that is criminal with respect to health, education and has an effect on sports, on art, on dance,” he stated to Bio Bio Chile.
Cuba won 30 gold medals, 21 silver and 17 bronze for a total of 68, which keeps them in fifth place, surpassed by Canada, Mexico, Brazil and the United States. However, he had a lower mark than the one achieved four years ago, when he achieved 100 metals at the Pan American Games in Lima (2019) and with 97 in Toronto (2015), where he had already achieved his worst results in more than two decades, after reaching 265 in Havana (1991) and 238 in Mar del Plata (1995).
The withdrawals of the hockey players and the hurdler only confirm the nightmare that weighs on Cuban sports. This decline is linked to the deep crisis in which the Island is immersed, which complicates the preparation of athletes. Journalist Francys Romero put the number of athletes who have abandoned contracts or delegations during 2023 at 61.
Cuban baseball failed again. They reached the group stage for the second time in a row. The Island’s only victory was against Colombia, with a score of 4-3. Three consecutive games followed with losses against Venezuela, Brazil and the Dominican Republic, causing an unexpected debacle.
The sport considered cultural heritage has not won gold in the Pan American Games since the 2007 Rio de Janeiro edition.
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2023-11-06 22:54:03
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