In Barcelona, Spain, local authorities reported that members of a Venezuelan baseball team have expressed interest in seeking asylum. On Monday, more than 20 players from the under-23 team engaged with officers at a National Police station in Barcelona to learn about the asylum process. This was initially reported by Spain’s newspaper, El País.
Some team members returned to the police station on the following day, where they were observed discussing further with the police. The Associated Press attempted to get a comment from the players, but they chose not to speak.
Baseball enjoys immense popularity in Venezuela, often seen as an escape from economic hardship by young players. The South American nation was once a vibrant scouting ground for baseball talent until it was plagued by a political and economic meltdown starting in 2013.
Indications from social media platforms suggest that the players are linked with Team Guevara, a squad that embarked on a journey to showcase talent in Italy and Spain. Julio Guevara, the team’s president, mentioned on March 18 that they were initiating their “2025 European tour.”
Guevara pointed to a TikTok video to describe how the team exhibited its prowess in both countries. Reports claimed that he returned to Venezuela with some players, though others stayed behind.
In the video, Guevara explained that those who remained were struggling to secure what he described as “permits” necessary for joining professional baseball teams. Details regarding whether this involved visa processes or asylum pursuits were not elaborated upon.
Venezuelans face significant hurdles when traveling, primarily due to the requirement for dual citizenship since many nations enforced visa policies following widespread migrations triggered by Venezuela’s crises.