Baseball in Cuba The coming brawn drain

[naaman fletcher]

FIRST it was the farmers, then the hairdressers. Now baseball players may become the newest participants in communist Cuba’s recent flirtation with the free market. Persistent rumours both on and off the island suggest that the Cuban Baseball Federation, the country’s governing body for the sport, is seriously considering allowing its players to join professional leagues in other countries. The athletes, it is claimed, will pay 40% of their earnings to the Cuban government for the privilege.

If true, the move would permit a major transfer of sporting talent from Cuba’s national game to much of the baseball world, including leagues in Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Nicaragua, Taiwan and Venezuela. Technically, the United States would still be excluded, since its trade embargo would prevent its teams from signing contracts that fund the Cuban government. But Cuban players could easily agree to short-term deals with non-American clubs, defect, and sign with major league franchises once those contracts expire.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/americasview/2010/12/baseball_cuba

I'm a little bit confused. Is it true that Cuba prevents it's citizens from leaving Cuba and working overseas? I thought at few months ago LA forum members insisted that Cuba did not prevent it's citizens from leaving the country.

[social_critic]

1. It depends on the individual's particular status

Cubans need permits to travel. These can be hard to get for some individuals. They are poor, which means getting the cash to qualify for a visa to go elsewhere can also be a problem. When I left Cuba, I did so legally, and it took a lot of paperwork. I did have help with the funding for the trip. But things change over time. I had a cousin who was taken out of jail and put on a boat, sent to Miami a long time ago. So it depends. It helps if you're crazy.