Two sailboats carrying humanitarian supplies from Mexico arrived in Havana on Saturday after vanishing from trackers during their voyage and prompting a multi-day search. The nine crew members, including a four-year-old boy and citizens of the United States, France and Germany, appeared in good health and spirits when they docked.
The vessels set out from Isla Mujeres in Quintana Roo last week, carrying the final shipments of the Nuestra America Convoy. The convoy, which has been sending aid to Cuba amid acute shortages, expected the boats in Havana earlier in the week but lost contact, triggering search-and-rescue efforts.
Adnaan Stumo, the 33-year-old American coordinator of the convoy, apologized for the alarm caused and said the trip was not dangerous but took a longer, more circuitous route than planned. He described the expedition as an expression of international solidarity with Cubans in the face of what organizers call an economic blockade.
Dozens of Cubans, including officials, greeted the boats in port, chanting slogans in support of the government and against foreign interference. Mexico’s navy reported that a maritime surveillance aircraft located the sailboats about 80 nautical miles northwest of Cuba. Authorities said unfavorable weather had slowed the vessels, and a Mexican ship escorted them into Havana to ensure a safe arrival. Stumo said the crew welcomed the navy’s assistance.
A spokesperson for Nuestra America said the wider mission to deliver urgently needed aid remains ongoing. The coalition, made up of roughly 300 groups from more than 30 countries, has delivered about 20 tons of supplies by air and sea so far, including food, medicine, solar panels and bicycles. Organizers say the shipments respond to shortages that have worsened amid tightened US measures earlier this year and broader regional political developments.