Nine Cuban canoeists defect during Canada competition, source says

Nine members of a 12-person Cuban canoeing team defected during a visit to Canada for a competition, a source close to the matter said Thursday.

The athletes were taking part in the third Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Cup in Montreal. The competition ran from July 9 until Thursday.

Cuba's national sports institute, INDER, and the country's canoe federation did not immediately comment on the case.

Cuban athletes have long used international sporting events as opportunities to defect. In October 2021, Cuba's under-23 baseball team travelled to Mexico for a tournament, and only about half of the team returned home.

Cuba is facing what the report described as its worst economic crisis in decades. The crisis has been worsened by a fuel blockade imposed by US President Donald Trump in January. Nationwide blackouts are frequent, and medicines, basic goods and fuel are in short supply.