🔗 Share this article Two Cuba-bound Aid Vessels Listed Unaccounted For subsequent to Leaving the Coast of Mexico. Both ships named Friendship and Tigger Moth departed Quintana Roo on 20 March. A comprehensive search and rescue mission is presently under way in the Caribbean waters for a pair of missing sailing vessels loaded with aid cargo en route from the Mexican coast to Havana. Military Rescue Missions Initiated Authorities in Mexico has deployed navy personnel and search planes to find the missing boats, which were carrying a minimum of nine personnel, as stated by a official statement. The vessels had been expected to arrive in Cuba's capital on Tuesday or Wednesday, but there has been no communication from them and zero verification of their arrival, the navy said. Background of Aid to the Island The Caribbean nation has leaned on humanitarian shipments from Mexico over the last several weeks, as the island endures repeated national electricity failures. "Both skippers and their teams are experienced sailors, and the two ships are fitted with suitable safety equipment and signalling equipment," an official associated with the mission said. The nine-person crew are from France, Poland, the United States, and Cuba. Officials said it has opened communications with maritime rescue coordination centres from those nations along with their consular staff. "We are co-operating fully with the authorities and are still optimistic in the capability of the sailors to safely arrive in Havana," the statement continued. Earlier Aid Mission Previously that week, the government in Havana warmly welcomed and greeted with fanfare another boat that had transported a significant amount of humanitarian aid to the nation. That ship, nicknamed "a modern Granma" after the boat in which the revolutionary leader returned to Cuba to begin the revolution in the 1950s, delivered solar panels, pharmaceuticals, infant formula, bikes and food. Broader International Backdrop Volunteers and NGOs have primarily led attempts to deliver critical assistance to Cuba since January, a period which saw a energy blockade on the island nation came into effect. The United Nations have since highlighted "dire" shortages of supplies, with in excess of 50,000 surgeries postponed in Cuba due to power shortages. Foreign policy tensions have increased over the past months, with remarks from several officials emphasizing the delicate nature of diplomatic ties. Reacting to recent comments, a prominent Cuban official declared that "the socialist system of Cuba is not up for negotiation." Accounts suggest that initial phases of talks commenced, although their ongoing development remains unclear. The naval forces affirmed it was pledged to using every available asset at its reach to discover the sailboats and ensure the safety of the sailors. As of now, there has been no official comment on the missing boats by the Cuban government.
Both ships named Friendship and Tigger Moth departed Quintana Roo on 20 March. A comprehensive search and rescue mission is presently under way in the Caribbean waters for a pair of missing sailing vessels loaded with aid cargo en route from the Mexican coast to Havana. Military Rescue Missions Initiated Authorities in Mexico has deployed navy personnel and search planes to find the missing boats, which were carrying a minimum of nine personnel, as stated by a official statement. The vessels had been expected to arrive in Cuba's capital on Tuesday or Wednesday, but there has been no communication from them and zero verification of their arrival, the navy said. Background of Aid to the Island The Caribbean nation has leaned on humanitarian shipments from Mexico over the last several weeks, as the island endures repeated national electricity failures. "Both skippers and their teams are experienced sailors, and the two ships are fitted with suitable safety equipment and signalling equipment," an official associated with the mission said. The nine-person crew are from France, Poland, the United States, and Cuba. Officials said it has opened communications with maritime rescue coordination centres from those nations along with their consular staff. "We are co-operating fully with the authorities and are still optimistic in the capability of the sailors to safely arrive in Havana," the statement continued. Earlier Aid Mission Previously that week, the government in Havana warmly welcomed and greeted with fanfare another boat that had transported a significant amount of humanitarian aid to the nation. That ship, nicknamed "a modern Granma" after the boat in which the revolutionary leader returned to Cuba to begin the revolution in the 1950s, delivered solar panels, pharmaceuticals, infant formula, bikes and food. Broader International Backdrop Volunteers and NGOs have primarily led attempts to deliver critical assistance to Cuba since January, a period which saw a energy blockade on the island nation came into effect. The United Nations have since highlighted "dire" shortages of supplies, with in excess of 50,000 surgeries postponed in Cuba due to power shortages. Foreign policy tensions have increased over the past months, with remarks from several officials emphasizing the delicate nature of diplomatic ties. Reacting to recent comments, a prominent Cuban official declared that "the socialist system of Cuba is not up for negotiation." Accounts suggest that initial phases of talks commenced, although their ongoing development remains unclear. The naval forces affirmed it was pledged to using every available asset at its reach to discover the sailboats and ensure the safety of the sailors. As of now, there has been no official comment on the missing boats by the Cuban government.