El País
The baseball team coach Julio Guevara has been in prison in Venezuela for a year, when several athletes from his team requested asylum in Barcelona. The man was arrested by Venezuelan intelligence services, who accuse him of being behind a "human trafficking ring". Guevara was on a European tour with the youngsters, when he returned to Venezuela for health reasons, and 18 of the youngsters traveling with him requested asylum at the National Police headquarters in Barcelona. The youngsters who remain in Spain deny any involvement of the coach in their decision to stay: "His imprisonment is absolutely unfair".
TL;DR
- Julio Guevara, a Venezuelan baseball coach, has been imprisoned for nearly a year on charges of human trafficking.
- The charges stem from an incident where 18 young baseball players from his team sought asylum in Barcelona during a European tour in March 2025.
- Guevara returned to Venezuela due to health issues and was subsequently arrested by Venezuelan intelligence services.
- The players who sought asylum deny any involvement of Guevara in their decision and state his imprisonment is unjust.
- Guevara's defense team describes him as a political prisoner and is seeking his release under a recently approved amnesty law in Venezuela.
- Investigations by Spanish police reportedly found no evidence of a human trafficking ring or criminal involvement by Guevara.
- Guevara was a scout and owner of the Team Guevara academy, organizing tours to showcase talent for European and potentially professional leagues.
- His family maintains he faces false accusations and unjust imprisonment.
- His defense's request for amnesty was rejected, and they are awaiting a response to an appeal.