El Optimismo y el Clásico Mundial

Algo que nos caracteriza como venezolanos es siempre tener esperanza, aunque en aquel foso oscuro de la derrota, el tiempo fue curando las heridas; sin embargo, llegamos a este Clásico Mundial de béisbol mirando esas cicatrices del pasado. Incluso en el mismo Mundial de béisbol fuimos favoritos en otras ocasiones, pero el título siempre fue esquivo. No les miento que, a pesar de ese optimismo, sentíamos que los fantasmas del pasado susurraban a nuestro oído, recordándonos todo ese dolor que hemos sentido.

Algo se ha Roto en el 2026

Esto es más que un título deportivo, esto es esperanza en nuestro país, una alegría colectiva que va más allá del deporte y que renueva nuestro espíritu de venezolanos. SOMOS CAMPEONES DEL MUNDO, pero en el deporte que nos caracteriza, ese deporte que muchos de nosotros disfrutamos en los estadios, aquel que se limitaba a alegrías locales, ahora une a cada bandera de Venezuela en cada rincón del planeta.

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Este es un momento que recordaremos por siempre. Nuestros nietos conocerán esta historia de lucha inalcanzable de los venezolanos, de que, a pesar de todas las circunstancias y como fuertes guerreros, nunca nos arrodillamos ante la derrota aunque nos tuviera un cuchillo en la garganta. Somos eso, fuerza y determinación; hoy el mundo amanece con la bandera de Venezuela en todos los diarios del mundo y no es por una mala noticia, es porque somos CAMPEONES.

World Champions ⚾️

[English Version]

If you ask me, I’m still in a bit of a daze; that feeling of being world champions in a sport that’s so significant, exciting, and above all so important to Venezuela is something I can’t put into words. What I can say is that we’re finally experiencing the joy we’ve been missing for so long.

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Beyond sports, Venezuela faces its own battles—every day, every week, every year, a new battle that turns Venezuelans into a sort of Caribbean Spartan, their bodies scarred from so many struggles. Some have been victories, but most—and the most important ones—have become a burden on the people… until 2026 arrived.

The Curse

Recently on X, I compared Venezuela in baseball to England in soccer: a great team, a competitive league, always contenders, but never a major title in decades. A curse that pains me to say had already become the norm.

Our memories haven’t forgotten that Copa América elimination against Canada, especially the most painful game I’ve ever experienced in sports: La Vinotinto’s elimination from the World Cup; in that case, our executioner was Colombia.

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Land of Warriors

I think we hit rock bottom that day; we seemed cursed, walking on sharp stones; every movement, every attempt to find joy, opened a new wound that grew larger and larger. We debated whether being Venezuelan meant suffering, being that warrior who is always fighting despite his exhaustion, despite no longer remembering all the battles he has fought; he only stays on his feet because it is his only option.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that at that moment, many of us Venezuelans felt we would never achieve a significant victory, that our fate was to feel that something was missing, that we could never prove to the world that we are so much more than they think.

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Optimism and the World Baseball Classic

Something that defines us as Venezuelans is always having hope, even in that dark pit of defeat; time has healed those wounds. However, we arrived at this World Baseball Classic looking at those scars from the past. We have been favorites in the World Baseball Classic on other occasions, but the title has always eluded us. I won’t lie to you: despite that optimism, we felt the ghosts of the past whispering in our ears, reminding us of all the pain we have felt.

Something Has Changed in 2026

This is more than a sports title; this is hope for our country, a collective joy that goes beyond sports and renews our spirit as Venezuelans. WE ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS, but in the sport that defines us—the sport that many of us enjoy in the stadiums, the one that was once limited to local celebrations—now unites every Venezuelan flag in every corner of the globe.

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This is a moment we will remember forever. Our grandchildren will know this story of the Venezuelan people’s unyielding struggle—that, despite all circumstances and as strong warriors, we never kneel before defeat, even if a knife were held to our throats. That is who we are: strength and determination. Today, the world wakes up to the Venezuelan flag in newspapers everywhere, and it’s not because of bad news—it’s because we are CHAMPIONS.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)