HAVANA, March 1 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) – President of the Cuban Olympic Committee (COC) Jose Ramon Fernandez announced Cuba will not participate in the Central American and Caribbean Games (CACS) in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico following obstacles imposed by the United States.

He said the COC and the Cuban Sports Institute (INDER) have decided not participate in the in the Central American and Caribbean Games Mayaguez-2010.

Fernandez read the declaration of the COC and INDER over the weekend before a group of athletes, trainers and outstanding figures of Cuban sports in the Colisseum of the Sports City of the capital.

“The reasonable waiting time, after four extensions given by the Cuban sports movement to organisers of Mayaguez-2010 reached its deadline,” said the statement that recognised the effort made by Puerto Rican sports authorities.

Cuba had prepared over two thousand athletes to attend the games in Puerto Rico where it was hoped to maintain the lead achieved in seven previous games in which it participated since Panama 1970.

However, the declaration said that “experiences accumulated in events held in Puerto Rican territory have not been good.”

“The members of the delegations that took part in the Central American and Caribbean Games of San Juan-1966, Ponce-1993 and the classifying 1st World Classic in 2006 still recall with displeasure, the constant aggressions, provocations and insults as well as permanent pressure to which they were subjected,” adds the statement.

When Mayaguez won the venue, at the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Central American and Caribbean Sports Organization (ODECABE) in Havana, in May 2004, Cuba clearly expressed its position in the declaration of both the COC and INDER.

Since then, Cuba warned the Games Organising Committee (ODECABE) and the Puerto Rico Olympic Committee they “should carry out strictly what the regulations establish for this type of competition and that Cuba would not accept discriminatory treatment of any kind.”

From Oct 2007 to Feb this year, Cuban sports authorities held over 45 encounters, meetings, exchange of correspondence or telephone calls with their counterparts in Puerto Rico and ODECABE.

Cuba claimed “visas for all the delegation, based on what is established in the ODECABE statutes and landing permission on an adequate airport in Puerto Rican territory and the security of the airline Cubana de Aviacion would not be comprimised.

Also, similar “conditions of accommodation, internal transportation” than the rest of the delegations and the access without obstacles to the rest of the Press and other members of the support group.

At the same time Cuba called for the establishment of “conditions of security and calm, preventing pressures and provocations” and said it “will not admit that their teams would receive treatment reserved for citizens of those countries considered terrorists.”

Cuba recognizes, finally, the “permanent and steadfast efforts” of the sporting authorities of Puerto Rico and its people, but warns that the reasonable waiting time has run out given to the organisers of Mayagüez-2010.

As a consequence of “the position assumed again by the U.S government of impeding and not acceding to just petitions,” Cuba has decided not to attend and asked the international sports organisations to take better care when giving the venue of any event to a country that violates international law. — NNN-PRENSA LATINA

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