2024 Caribbean Series: Venezuelan roster turmoil

[Noah Berger]

Details on why the roster for the Venezuela's Serie del Caribe team is currently in jeopardy.

Although it is already known that the Tiburones de La Guaira will represent Venezuela in the upcoming Serie del Caribe, the roster has yet to be finalized for many reasons outside of the Venezuelan team's control. The biggest issue facing Venezuelan players is that most players who should be on the roster do not have a visa to enter the United States. A source confirms that only a quarter of the players possess a valid U.S. entry visa. 

So why not just get visas? Simple answer: They can't.

Due to economic and political factors, the United States suspended embassy operations in Caracas, Venezuela, on March 12, 2019. Without an operating embassy in the country, any Venezuelan trying to obtain a visa to enter the U.S. must first travel to the U.S. embassies in either Bogotá, Colombia, or Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to apply for a visa. With the tournament beginning on Thursday, there isn't enough time for all the players to obtain a visa. 

As of early Tuesday afternoon, Tiburones OF Yasiel Puig, LHP Aríel Miranda, RHP Luis Madero and RHP Miguel Romero are confirmed to be eligible. Players from other LVBP teams who are available to participate are being recruited to fill out the roster, including RHP Jhoulys Chacín (previously with Cardenales de Lara), RHP Silvino Bracho (Cardenales de Lara) and RHP Anthony Vizcaya (Leones de Caracas).

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