Mexico’s navy announced on Thursday the initiation of a search-and-rescue mission in the Caribbean to locate two sailboats transporting humanitarian aid to Cuba. The vessels, carrying a total of nine crew members from various nationalities, departed from Isla Mujeres in Quintana Roo, Mexico, with Havana as their destination. Despite an expected arrival window between Tuesday and Wednesday, there has been no communication or confirmation of their whereabouts.
These two boats are part of a larger grassroots aid campaign aimed at supporting Cuba, which is facing severe power shortages and economic challenges following increased restrictions on imports by the U.S. One of the vessels from the convoy successfully reached Havana earlier in the week. Volunteers in Mexico packed essential supplies like rice, baby products, medicine, and more onto the boats as part of the “Nuestra America Convoy,” a private initiative striving to deliver aid items to the island nation.
A spokesperson for the convoy expressed confidence in the experienced captains and crews onboard, highlighting the vessels’ safety measures and signaling equipment. Mexican authorities have reached out to maritime rescue coordination centers in several countries, including Poland, France, Cuba, and the United States, as well as the diplomatic representatives of the crew members’ respective nations.