Outspoken WBC lightweight champion Edwin Valero accused the US government of discrimination on Friday, and said he would be unable to defend his title in November because his visa was not renewed in time.
Valero had never officially been added to the undercard of Manny Pacquiao’s highly anticipated pay-per-view bout against Miguel Cotto, but Top Rank promoter Bob Arum had hoped that Valero would be able to defend his belt against junior lightweight champion Humberto Soto on Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The 27-year-old Valero, who was born in Venezuela, said he completed all the required paperwork for the visa. Valero suggested that the application had been refused because of his sympathy for Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez — a fierce critic of US policy in the region.
“I’ve been the subject of an act of discrimination, as well as my wife and my children, one of which was born in the United States,” Valero said in a statement from Caracas.
Valero (25-0, 20 KOs) said he was now planning to organize a fight for Dec. 12 in Caracas, which would be backed by private businesses and Chavez’s government.
“We all have our ideology, and we hope that they respect us,” said Valero, who has Chavez’s image tattooed on his chest. “I’m not a politician, I’m an athlete.”
Top Rank spokesman Lee Samuels said he was aware that Valero had a visa problem and might be unable to fight. The only bout that has been announced for the Pacquiao-Cotto undercard is WBA junior middleweight champion Daniel Santos defending his title against Yuri Foreman.
“We’ll have two more fights to announce, maybe next week,” Samuels said.
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