Mexico: Two humanitarian ships en route to Cuba go missing

(Patria) - The Mexican Navy announced on Thursday that it has launched a search and rescue operation in the Caribbean to locate two sailboats carrying humanitarian aid to Cuba after the vessels did not arrive in Havana as planned, Reuters reported.

In a statement, the navy said the two ships departed Isla Mujeres, in the Mexican Caribbean state of Quintana Roo, on March 20, en route to Havana, with nine crew members of various nationalities.

The vessels were expected to arrive between March 24 and 25, but there has been no communication from them nor confirmation of their arrival, the navy stated.
The two missing ships are part of a broader effort to aid energy-strapped Cuba, which is suffering from prolonged power outages and an economic crisis. A separate ship from the convoy arrived in Havana on Tuesday.

Volunteers in Mexico loaded the ships last week with rice, baby wipes, beans, baby formula, medicine, and other necessities as part of the "Nuestra America Convoy," a non-governmental initiative aiming to deliver food, medicine, and energy goods to the island.

Mexico has established contact with maritime rescue coordination centers in Poland, France, Cuba, and the United States, as well as with diplomatic representatives of the countries of origin of those on board, the navy announced.

The United States has been blocking fuel shipments to Cuba for weeks and threatening anyone who does so, leading to difficulties in carrying out daily tasks in Cuba. In response, several non-governmental organizations and activists from various countries are trying to reach Cuba and deliver humanitarian aid.