The Mexican Navy launched search-and-rescue operations in the Caribbean on Thursday to find two sailboats that were carrying humanitarian supplies to Cuba. The vessels departed Isla Mujeres in Quintana Roo last week for Havana but did not arrive as scheduled on March 24 and March 25. There were nine people of different nationalities on board.
In an official statement, the Navy urged other seafarers and regional maritime authorities to report any sightings. It said an aircraft is being used to search the corridor between Isla Mujeres and Havana and that maritime rescue coordination centers in several countries, including Poland, France, Cuba and the United States, have been alerted. Naval officials also contacted diplomatic representatives for the missing individuals’ countries of origin; those countries have not been disclosed.
The boats were part of the Nuestra America Convoy, a non-governmental effort organized by volunteers in Mexico to deliver essentials—rice, beans, baby formula, wipes and medicine—to Cuba amid what organizers describe as a severe energy and economic crisis tied to a tightened U.S. embargo. The article notes the Trump administration tightened its blockade in January following the capture and deposing of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro. One other vessel from the convoy reached Havana on Tuesday.
A convoy spokesperson told Reuters the captains and crews are experienced sailors and that the vessels are equipped with appropriate safety systems and signalling gear. “We are cooperating fully with the authorities and remain confident in the crews’ ability to reach Havana safely,” the spokesperson said.
Edited by: Rana Taha