The Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB) has denounced the “political motivation” behind the resolution of the United States Government to annul the agreement that would allow Cuban baseball players to sign contracts with the Major League Baseball (MLB, for its acronym in English) , closed last December.
“Attacks with political motivation against the agreement achieved harm the athletes, their families and the fans,” the FCB said in a tweet shortly after the cancellation came to light.
The talks to close the agreement between the MLB and Cuba had lasted three years, after it initiated the policy of opening to the island that was promoted by former President Barack Obama (2009–2017) who did not consider the FCB as an entity dependent on the Cuban state.
Now, the Office of Foreign Assets Control, a dependency of the United States Department of the Treasury, has said that “making a payment to the Cuban federation is the same as paying the government of Cuba,” which would violate the embargo imposed on Cuba. Isla, because it would be a direct financial transaction with the Cuban government.
The FCB responded on Twitter also that the bilateral agreement only “seeks to stop the trafficking of human beings, encourage cooperation and raise the level of baseball” and said that “any contrary idea is fake news.”
