Five women who were part of the Cuban youth handball team have escaped slavery to the communist Castro dictatorship while in Mexico for the pre-world championship. The women join dozens of other Cuban athletes who have taken the opportunity of competing abroad to seek freedom through defection this year. The total number of Cuban athlete defections in 2023 now stands at 75, eclipsing the 2022 total of 70. ¡Viva la revolucion!
Five players from the Cuban youth handball team defect
Five players from the Cuban youth handball team left the delegation that was in Mexico for the Pre-World Championship. According to journalist Francys Romero, they are Nadira Mesa, Daniella Chávez, Sol Perello, Reina Ramos, and Naila Borrero.
As reported by the journalist, a total of 75 athletes have abandoned delegations or contracts in 2023, five more than the 70 in 2022.
Mass Exodus
Several months ago, another four handball players left the Cuban delegation in Paris, France.
“Arisleydi Márquez, Yudisaday Rodríguez, Melisa Arias, and Geidy Maceo escaped from the team after participating in the North American and Caribbean pre-world championship tournament, held in Greenland, where the Cuban team performed poorly and failed to qualify for the World Championship.
“Arisleidy Márquez, a 29-year-old native of Pinar del Río, won a bronze medal at the XXIII Central American and Caribbean Games held in Barranquilla in 2018 and at the XVIII Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, the following year.
“Additionally, two members of the Cuban indoor soccer team also left the squad that had traveled to Costa Rica for friendly matches in preparation for the CONCACAF Pre-World Championship. They are Ernesto Duanes from Ciego de Ávila and Bárbaro Shelier from La Havana.