Mexico's navy has launched a search-and-rescue operation in the Caribbean for two sailboats carrying humanitarian aid to Cuba that failed to arrive in Havana as scheduled. The vessels left Isla Mujeres, in the Mexican Caribbean state of Quintana Roo, last week with nine crew members of different nationalities on board.
The navy said the boats were expected to arrive between 24 and 25 March, but there has been no communication from them and no confirmation of their arrival. The missing vessels are part of a grassroots aid effort for energy-strapped Cuba, which has been suffering prolonged power outages and a deepening economic crisis after the US tightened its embargo on oil and other goods.
Volunteers in Mexico loaded the boats with rice, baby wipes, beans, baby formula, medicine and other supplies as part of the “Nuestra America Convoy,” a non-government initiative. A separate vessel from the convoy arrived in Havana on Tuesday.
A spokesperson for the convoy said the captains and crews are experienced sailors, and both vessels are equipped with appropriate safety systems and signalling equipment. The convoy is cooperating fully with authorities and remains confident in the crews’ ability to reach Havana safely.
The Mexican navy has also established contact with maritime rescue coordination centres in Poland, France, Cuba and the United States, as well as diplomatic representatives of the countries of origin of those on board.
