🔗 Share this article Two Cuba-Headed Relief Sailboats Declared Unaccounted For after Setting Sail from Mexican Waters. Both ships named Friendship and Tigger Moth set off from Quintana Roo on the 20th of March. A comprehensive search and recovery mission is actively ongoing in the Caribbean Sea for a pair of unlocated boats carrying humanitarian supplies traveling from Mexico to Havana. Military Rescue Missions Initiated Mexico has dispatched navy personnel and search planes to locate the missing boats, which were carrying a minimum of 9 crew members, according to a military release. The vessels had been projected to make landfall in the Cuban capital on the early part of the week, but there has been radio silence from them and no official word of their arrival, the navy said. The Situation of Aid to the Nation The island nation has leaned on aid convoys from Mexico over recent weeks, as the nation endures widespread national electricity failures. "Both skippers and their teams are veteran seafarers, and the two ships are equipped with appropriate safety systems and signalling equipment," a representative involved in the effort stated. The nine individuals on board are from Poland, France, Cuba and the US. Mexican authorities said it has opened communications with rescue coordination centers from those nations along with their diplomatic representatives. "We are working closely with the officials and continue to be hopeful in the crews' ability to safely arrive in Havana," the spokesperson added. Earlier Relief Delivery Just days before, the Cuban authorities warmly welcomed and officially received a different ship that had delivered 14 tons of humanitarian aid to the nation. That ship, called "a new Granma" after the yacht in which Castro returned to Cuba to begin the armed struggle in the 1950s, carried photovoltaic panels, drugs, infant formula, cycles and food. Larger International Backdrop Charity groups and individuals have been at the forefront of attempts to deliver critical assistance to Cuba since January, when a oil sanctions on the Communist-run nation began. The United Nations have since warned of ""critical" supply shortages, with in excess of 50k surgical procedures called off in Cuba amid power shortages. Political measures have increased lately, with statements from several representatives highlighting the delicate nature of diplomatic ties. In response to previous statements, a high-ranking Cuban official declared that "the socialist system of Cuba is not subject to discussion." Indications suggest that preliminary steps of negotiations were initiated, although their ongoing development remains uncertain. The Mexican navy stated it was committed to using the full extent of its capabilities at its reach to locate the boats and ensure the security of the sailors. To date, there has been no public statement on the lost ships by the Cuban government.
Both ships named Friendship and Tigger Moth set off from Quintana Roo on the 20th of March. A comprehensive search and recovery mission is actively ongoing in the Caribbean Sea for a pair of unlocated boats carrying humanitarian supplies traveling from Mexico to Havana. Military Rescue Missions Initiated Mexico has dispatched navy personnel and search planes to locate the missing boats, which were carrying a minimum of 9 crew members, according to a military release. The vessels had been projected to make landfall in the Cuban capital on the early part of the week, but there has been radio silence from them and no official word of their arrival, the navy said. The Situation of Aid to the Nation The island nation has leaned on aid convoys from Mexico over recent weeks, as the nation endures widespread national electricity failures. "Both skippers and their teams are veteran seafarers, and the two ships are equipped with appropriate safety systems and signalling equipment," a representative involved in the effort stated. The nine individuals on board are from Poland, France, Cuba and the US. Mexican authorities said it has opened communications with rescue coordination centers from those nations along with their diplomatic representatives. "We are working closely with the officials and continue to be hopeful in the crews' ability to safely arrive in Havana," the spokesperson added. Earlier Relief Delivery Just days before, the Cuban authorities warmly welcomed and officially received a different ship that had delivered 14 tons of humanitarian aid to the nation. That ship, called "a new Granma" after the yacht in which Castro returned to Cuba to begin the armed struggle in the 1950s, carried photovoltaic panels, drugs, infant formula, cycles and food. Larger International Backdrop Charity groups and individuals have been at the forefront of attempts to deliver critical assistance to Cuba since January, when a oil sanctions on the Communist-run nation began. The United Nations have since warned of ""critical" supply shortages, with in excess of 50k surgical procedures called off in Cuba amid power shortages. Political measures have increased lately, with statements from several representatives highlighting the delicate nature of diplomatic ties. In response to previous statements, a high-ranking Cuban official declared that "the socialist system of Cuba is not subject to discussion." Indications suggest that preliminary steps of negotiations were initiated, although their ongoing development remains uncertain. The Mexican navy stated it was committed to using the full extent of its capabilities at its reach to locate the boats and ensure the security of the sailors. To date, there has been no public statement on the lost ships by the Cuban government.