🔗 Share this article Two Cuba-bound Aid Sailboats Reported Unaccounted For after Leaving Mexican Waters. Both vessels Friendship and Tigger Moth departed Mexico on 20 March. A comprehensive search and recovery operation is currently under way in the Caribbean Sea for two missing sailboats transporting relief goods en route from the Mexican coast to Havana. Military Search Efforts Initiated The Mexican government has dispatched naval assets and military search aircraft to search for the Friendship and Tigger Moth, which were had on board no fewer than nine personnel, according to a official 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 zero verification of their safe arrival, authorities reported. Context of Humanitarian Support to the Island The island nation has depended significantly on humanitarian shipments from Mexico over the last several weeks, as the nation struggles through repeated national electricity failures. "Both captains and crews are experienced sailors, and both vessels are equipped with proper safety equipment and signalling equipment," a spokesperson involved in the effort said. The nine-person crew are from the United States, Cuba, France, and Poland. Officials said it has opened communications with maritime rescue coordination centres from each country along with their embassy officials. "We are co-operating fully with the authorities and remain confident in the ability of the crews to make it to Cuba without incident," the statement continued. Previous Humanitarian Mission Earlier in the week, the Cuban government widely celebrated and warmly received a different ship that had carried 14 tonnes of donated goods to the island. That ship, called "Granma 2.0" following the name of the yacht in which the revolutionary leader returned to Cuba to start the revolution in the mid-20th century, brought photovoltaic panels, medicines, formula milk, cycles and provisions. Larger Geopolitical Context Volunteers and NGOs have largely spearheaded attempts to deliver humanitarian aid to Cuba starting at the turn of the year, when a fuel embargo on the Communist-run nation was initiated. Global bodies have since warned of ""severe" shortages of supplies, with in excess of fifty thousand surgeries cancelled in Cuba amid power shortages. Political pressure have increased over the past months, with comments from various representatives highlighting the complicated nature of bilateral relations. Responding to recent comments, a senior official from Cuba declared that "the political system of Cuba is not subject to discussion." Indications suggest that preliminary steps of discussions had begun, although their current progress remains uncertain. The maritime authorities stated it was pledged to using every available asset at its disposal to find the sailboats and secure the safety of the people on board. To date, there has been no official comment on the missing boats by the government in Havana.
Both vessels Friendship and Tigger Moth departed Mexico on 20 March. A comprehensive search and recovery operation is currently under way in the Caribbean Sea for two missing sailboats transporting relief goods en route from the Mexican coast to Havana. Military Search Efforts Initiated The Mexican government has dispatched naval assets and military search aircraft to search for the Friendship and Tigger Moth, which were had on board no fewer than nine personnel, according to a official 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 zero verification of their safe arrival, authorities reported. Context of Humanitarian Support to the Island The island nation has depended significantly on humanitarian shipments from Mexico over the last several weeks, as the nation struggles through repeated national electricity failures. "Both captains and crews are experienced sailors, and both vessels are equipped with proper safety equipment and signalling equipment," a spokesperson involved in the effort said. The nine-person crew are from the United States, Cuba, France, and Poland. Officials said it has opened communications with maritime rescue coordination centres from each country along with their embassy officials. "We are co-operating fully with the authorities and remain confident in the ability of the crews to make it to Cuba without incident," the statement continued. Previous Humanitarian Mission Earlier in the week, the Cuban government widely celebrated and warmly received a different ship that had carried 14 tonnes of donated goods to the island. That ship, called "Granma 2.0" following the name of the yacht in which the revolutionary leader returned to Cuba to start the revolution in the mid-20th century, brought photovoltaic panels, medicines, formula milk, cycles and provisions. Larger Geopolitical Context Volunteers and NGOs have largely spearheaded attempts to deliver humanitarian aid to Cuba starting at the turn of the year, when a fuel embargo on the Communist-run nation was initiated. Global bodies have since warned of ""severe" shortages of supplies, with in excess of fifty thousand surgeries cancelled in Cuba amid power shortages. Political pressure have increased over the past months, with comments from various representatives highlighting the complicated nature of bilateral relations. Responding to recent comments, a senior official from Cuba declared that "the political system of Cuba is not subject to discussion." Indications suggest that preliminary steps of discussions had begun, although their current progress remains uncertain. The maritime authorities stated it was pledged to using every available asset at its disposal to find the sailboats and secure the safety of the people on board. To date, there has been no official comment on the missing boats by the government in Havana.