The Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation (CBPC) reported that the leagues justify their decision due to the political and military situation in Venezuela.
SANTO DOMINGO– The Dominican Republic announced yesterday that it will not participate in the 2026 Caribbean Series, scheduled to be held in Venezuela from February 1-7. The decision was communicated by the Dominican Professional Baseball League (LIDOM) to the Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation (CBPC) at an extraordinary meeting of the organization.
The confederation announced in an official statement that LIDOM's decision was due to the fact that "the necessary conditions are not in place to guarantee its participation in the tournament." The Dominican league indicated that "the political and military situation in Venezuela directly influences its position.".
Along with the country, the Mexican Pacific League (Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico) and the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League of Puerto Rico also announced their refusal to participate. In the statement, the organization clarified that “the notification from the three leagues was received within a framework of institutional respect and in accordance with the Confederation’s internal procedures.”.
Reaction
The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (LVBP) immediately reacted, stating that it "has the necessary organizational conditions to carry out the Tournament," and praised "the work of the Venezuelan organizing committee and the efforts made in planning the tournament.".
For its part, the confederation added that it “will continue to constantly evaluate the situation before making a final decision on holding the 2026 Caribbean Series, keeping various alternatives open to preserve the continuity of the event.”.
If the declines continue, the 2026 edition would, for the moment, be hosted by Venezuela, accompanied by the invited countries Colombia, Cuba, Panama and the Japan Breeze team, representing Japan.
Finally, the CBPC indicated that "the possibility of moving the Caribbean Series to an alternate venue is not ruled out, as happened in 2019, when the tournament was moved to Panama due to the Venezuelan political situation.".
Possibilities of the 2026 Caribbean Series in the Dominican Republic
On October 9, in an interview with ESPN en Español, the president of the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League (LIDOM), Vitelio Mejía Ortiz, stated that the Caribbean Series will not be held in the country until a larger stadium is built. The statement came amid discussions about future venues for the tournament.
“To generate that kind of revenue, you need a certain capacity. You need a stadium that holds 20,000 to 25,000 fans,” the executive stated, referring to the infrastructure requirements necessary to host the event. He noted that the current stadium capacity limits the organization of the Caribbean Series.
He also explained that the host country must cover the tournament's operating costs. "When you host the Caribbean Series, you have to pay for everyone's expenses," he stated, mentioning airfare, accommodation, transportation, player meals, and other logistical commitments.
