A Pair of Cuba-Headed Relief Sailboats Declared Unaccounted For following Setting Sail from Mexican Waters.
A comprehensive rescue and recovery effort is currently in progress in the Caribbean Sea for two unlocated sailing vessels transporting aid cargo journeying from the Mexican coast to Havana.
Naval Search and Rescue Missions Initiated
Mexico has sent navy personnel and reconnaissance aircraft to find the Friendship and Tigger Moth, which were transporting a minimum of 9 personnel, per a navy statement.
The ships had been scheduled to make landfall in the Cuban capital on Tuesday or Wednesday, but there has been no communication from them and no confirmation of their arrival, the navy said.
The Situation of Relief to Cuba
Cuba has leaned on humanitarian shipments from Mexico over the past few weeks, as the island endures repeated nationwide blackouts.
"The captains and crews are veteran seafarers, and both vessels are outfitted with suitable safety equipment and signalling equipment," a spokesperson for the convoy said.
The nine individuals on board are citizens of France, Poland, the United States, and Cuba. Mexican authorities said it has opened communications with maritime rescue coordination centres from the involved countries along with their embassy officials.
"Our team is collaborating completely with the authorities and continue to be hopeful in the ability of the crews to reach Havana safely," the statement continued.
Previous Relief Mission
Just days before, the government in Havana publicly celebrated and greeted with fanfare a different ship that had transported a significant amount of humanitarian aid to the country.
That ship, nicknamed "Granma 2.0" in reference to the boat in which Fidel Castro came back to Cuba to start the armed struggle in the mid-20th century, delivered photovoltaic panels, drugs, baby formula, bicycles and foodstuffs.
Larger Political Climate
Volunteers and NGOs have primarily led attempts to bring essential supplies to Cuba starting at the turn of the year, when a oil sanctions on the Communist-run nation came into effect.
The United Nations have since highlighted "dire" shortages of supplies, with in excess of 50,000 surgical procedures postponed in Cuba because of electricity supply constraints.
Foreign policy pressure have been ramped up in recent months, with comments from different leaders emphasizing the complicated state of bilateral relations.
Reacting to recent comments, a prominent government figure declared that "the political system of Cuba is non-negotiable."
Indications suggest that preliminary steps of discussions had begun, although their current progress remains not publicly known.
The maritime authorities affirmed it was dedicated to using the full extent of its capabilities at its disposal to find the sailboats and ensure the well-being of the crews.
At this time, there has been no public statement on the disappeared vessels by the government in Havana.
