This was due to the presence of a dissident Cuban baseball team among the participants, which openly criticised the event, claiming discrimination and violation of its rights. 

Team Rentería USA, the organisers and promoters of the event, issued a press release suspending the tournament, which was due to take place in Barranquilla, the capital of Atlántico. "The leagues, teams, and entities involved have expressed their willingness to continue with the series," the entity said. 

However, the Ministry of Sport, together with the Olympic Committee, issued a statement saying that it was not possible to grant permission for the tournament to go ahead, in addition to not recognising FEPCUBE, one of the participating teams," the document read.

In the statement posted on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Team Rentería USA, owned by former Major League Baseball player Édgar Rentería and his brother Edinson, stated that the cancellation was due to "external reasons" beyond the organisation's control. 

The Intercontinental Baseball Series was due to start in Barranquilla on 26 January with a team from the Cuban Professional Baseball Federation (FEPCUBE), made up of Cubans or Cuban descendants who have defected from the Cuban regime.

Upon hearing the news, FEPCUBE reacted quickly, using social media to issue a statement: "The main reason for this cancellation was to avoid the presence of the [Cuban] team at the event." 

The team also denounced the Colombian and Cuban governments, stating that this was contrary to the principles of free sport and is a direct attack on democracy. "This is a decision that insults and mocks democracy and freedom, coming from a totalitarian regime that systematically represses its citizens," FEBCUBE asserted.

In response, Edison Rentería announced that the FEPCUBE players would not use the Cuban anthem or flag. The Cuban players, originally named "Patria y Vida," (Homeland and Life), also decided to change their name to "Dream Team" to avoid any political connotations. 

It should be noted that the cancelled Intercontinental Series was scheduled to take place from 26 January to 1 February, 2024, in a round-robin format with teams from Colombia, Curaçao, South Korea, the United States, Japan, and a team made up of Cuban players under the name Dream Team.

Despite the suspension of the tournament in Colombia, the FEPCUBE team played their scheduled friendly in preparation for the Intercontinental Series, defeating MDC Sarks 3-2 at Miami Dade College North Campus. It was the first match in the history of the self-proclaimed Cuba Independiente - Dream Team. 

The team, made up of Cubans and their descendants living or training in the United States, became the main obstacle to the tournament, which was suspended due to political pressure, according to the allegations of the Cubans themselves.