Cuba seeks permit, offers to give winnings to Katrina victims

Notari said he sympathized with Roldan's view but said it was up to Major League Baseball to move the games out of Puerto Rico, which is scheduled to host games during the first and second rounds.

"I won't enter into a problem with the national committee," Notari said. "The position of Roldan is very good and very clear."

Cardona said he was talking to other Latin American athletic officials to enlist their support in persuading the U.S. government to change its position.

Cuba is set to play Puerto Rico, Panama and the Netherlands in Puerto Rico in the first round of the tournament. Each of the 16 teams in the classic are to receive 1 percent of the earnings and the champion is due up to 5 percent, according to Roldan.

In Miami, former Boston bullpen coach Euclides Rojas spoke at an announcement by a group that included Osvaldo Fernandez, Eddie Oropesa and Rene Arocha, the first Cuban defector to play in the majors.

"We would like to represent the team of free Cuba," Rojas said.

Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, a Florida Republican who was born in Cuba, backed the new group, which hopes to recruit pitchers Jose Contreras of the Chicago White Sox, Livan Hernandez of the Washington Nationals and Orlando Hernandez of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

"The lineup is ready," Diaz-Balart said.

Courtney said MLB is dealing only with groups recognized by the IBAF.

"The IBAF sanctions this events under Olympic-type rules. We don't independently recognize federations," he said.