One young man left Cuba on a cigarette boat, piloted by members of a smuggling ring connected with the Zetas drug cartel, only to be held captive for weeks in Mexico and threatened with violence until his transporters were paid. Another survived a harrowing three days in shark-infested waters and spent eight months as a captive to his smugglers as they struggled to auction him off to another agent.
These are the stories of just two Cuban baseball stars who risked everything and suffered immeasurable hardship to come to the U.S. and play Major League Baseball. There are many others just like them.
For years, MLB has been exploring ways to end this dangerous practice and replace it with an organized system through which Cuban baseball players can safely and legally pursue their dream of playing professional baseball in the U.S. In December, MLB announced that it had reached an agreement with the Cuban Baseball Federation that will bring an end to the human trafficking of Cuban ballplayers.
This agreement is a step in the right direction, and it should be seen as part of America’s long history of sports diplomacy.
Take China as an example. In the 1970s, Cold War tensions had reached their peak. It was during the Winter Olympics when a Chinese ping-pong player’s chance meeting with an American player led to the formalization of diplomatic ties between the U.S. and China. After an American player missed his team’s bus, he decided to ride on the Chinese team’s bus. Amid the tension, the Chinese and Americans exchanged gifts, and a photo of the moment spread like wildfire.
Before long, Chinese leader Mao Zedong invited the American ping-pong team to visit and play friendly matches in China. The next year, President Richard Nixon visited China. The rest is history.
The point is, sports diplomacy is effective. That’s partially why the MLB has signed deals similar to the MLB-FCB agreement with professional baseball leagues around the world, including those in Japan, Korea, and China. By promoting engagement with other cultures and governments, the U.S. can more effectively attain our goals on the international stage. It’s soft power 101.
Moreover, this agreement stands to benefit the people of Cuba. While detractors say that the release fees paid by MLB clubs would be tantamount to sending money to the Cuban government, that’s simply not the case. The U.S. Treasury Department has concluded that the FCB is not part of the Cuban government, and the FCB has pledged to use this money to improve the life of Cubans. That means building new stadiums, purchasing better equipment, and investing in better training for Cuban players.
Like most things involving U.S.-Cuba policy, the MLB/FCB agreement is not without its critics. Some in Congress and within the National Security Council are pushing President Trump to cancel the agreement. Doing so would unnecessarily politicize the sport and undermine the leadership that President Trump and the Republican Party have demonstrated on combating human trafficking.
Within the last two months, Trump has signed four bills into law that will help eradicate human trafficking, and the administration has underscored its commitment to leverage resources to confront the threat, support victims, and hold traffickers accountable for their crimes. The MLB/FCB agreement echoes the Trump administration’s stance on human trafficking and will help put an end to the human smuggling of Cuban baseball players. As Luis Tiant, the legendary Cuban pitcher said, “I am thrilled that the next generation of Cuban ballplayers, who only want to succeed in the Major Leagues, will have a safer route to their dreams.”
Given the administration’s leadership on human trafficking, I am hopeful it will honor its commitment to the issue and free future generations of Cuban ballplayers from the threat of smuggling.
Carlos Gutierrez was the U.S. Secretary of Commerce from 2005 to 2009 under President George W. Bush.
