Unrest hits home for Jays and Tigers
The post-all-star-break portion of the major-league season, with regard to the Tigers, is starting out much the same way the regular season did back in April: with strong political statements issued by star first baseman Miguel Cabrera, who is concerned about his family back home in Venezuela and fearing for the future of his country as citizens throughout the South American nation completed day 105 of organized protests against their government.
Cabrera, the former American League MVP and Triple Crown winner who is beloved in Detroit, released videos via Instagram and other social media that was translated by the Detroit Free Press and published during the break.
“I am tired of hearing that they are going to kidnap my mother, and I don’t know whether it is a policeman or a bad guy,” an emotional Cabrera said. “I don’t know who they are. All I know is if I don’t pay, those people disappear.
“They are telling me I am a pain in the ass . . . I am out here fighting for my people. You might say, ‘oh he is out here living the good life, while we are out here suffering in Venezuela.’ Like I was told by the chavistas, ‘if you come to Venezuela we will break you, we will kill you.’ ”
Cabrera is owed approximately $198 million U.S. by the Tigers through the 2023 season and unfortunately has family, including his mother, still in Venezuela.
There are 135 active Venezuelan players with major-league experience, seven of them at Comerica Park on Friday night for the JaysTigers series opener: Cabrera, Victor Martinez, Anibal Sanchez, Bruce Rondon and Dixon Machado for the Tigers, Ezequiel Carrera and Miguel Montero for the Jays.
The Jays acquired the 34-year-old Montero, a Caracas native, from the Cubs in the week leading into the break. The 12-year major-league veteran has played with or against most of his countrymen and sympathizes with Cabrera. He is also concerned for his homeland. Montero is fortunate that his wife, kids, mother and sister are all with him in the United States year-round.
“It makes it a little bit easier for me, but a lot of other guys, they don’t have their whole family here,” Montero said. “So it’s hard for them. I know what they’re going through, and we all do. We pray and go on.” The Venezuelan MLB community is a large one. They all pay attention and care about the well-being of each other, but there is not much that can really be done from North America except raising awareness and seeking out opportunities to help.
“Your mind is there and you worry about your family,” Montero said. “You worry about the country. You’re born and raised over there, so you want to go back at some point. We want to be free to go down there, but unfortunately right now the situation doesn’t really allow us to go there and be safe. We try as much as we can to help some way, somehow, but it’s hard. Our thoughts are always over there.”
The violence and conflict seem to be getting worse. Friday was the 105th day of a formal, organized protest by citizens that has resulted in more than 95 dead and 1,000 injured.
It seems an entire generation of Venezuelans, ages 18 to 29, is looking to leave and find employment in countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Peru and the U.S.
The next generation of young Venezuelan baseball players, 14 to 18 years old, is still being developed locally. But when they sign and leave the country, they must also leave their families because they can’t afford to take them.
“Obviously at 16 to 18 years old they’re still hungry,” Montero began. “They don’t know much better and they just want to get to the big leagues. I don’t know if they’re really thinking that much about Venezuela. They’re just thinking about playing. But still, it’s hard for them as well. They’ve got families down there.”
Cabrera’s recent public display of disaffection with regard to his country is unusual. Most Venezuelans try to fly under the government radar when it comes to complaints that could adversely affect their loved ones back home.
Two famous incidents involved the abductions of current Rays catcher Wilson Ramos and former MLB closer Ugueth Urbina. In November of 2011, Ramos, then with the Nationals, was taken from his mother’s home and held for 50 hours before being rescued by Venezuelan commandos.
In September of 2004, Urbina’s mother was kidnapped from her home and held for five months before being rescued.
“Still, we’re thinking about down there,” Montero said.
“Obviously it’s a place that I want to go back (to) at some point. I want to take my kids and have them see where their dad grew up. (An election) is the only solution we’ve got, so hopefully we can get that done.”
President Nicolas Maduro took over from Hugo Chavez and has been in charge since April 14, 2013. When Chavez assumed the presidency in 1998, it was mostly the wealthy middle class who sought refuge in other countries, but a poll at the beginning of 2017 showed 35.3 per cent of Venezuelans were looking to emigrate.