Mexico’s navy announced on Thursday that it has activated a search-and-rescue effort in the Caribbean to find two sailboats that were carrying humanitarian aid to Cuba but did not reach Havana as planned. The navy said the boats departed from Isla Mujeres, in the Mexican Caribbean state of Quintana Roo, on March 20 and were bound for Havana with nine crew members of different nationalities on board.
The vessels had been due to arrive in Havana between March 24 and 25, according to the navy. When neither vessel made landfall as scheduled, and communications ceased, the navy initiated maritime search operations to determine the whereabouts of the boats and those aboard. There has been no confirmation that the vessels reached their destination.
Authorities noted that the two missing sailboats are part of a wider grassroots aid initiative responding to Cuba’s energy and economic challenges. The island has been described as energy-strapped, enduring prolonged power outages alongside a deepening economic crisis. The convoy is organized outside of government channels and aims to deliver food, medicines and energy-related goods to communities in need.
Organizers in Mexico previously loaded the convoy’s boats with a range of supplies, including rice, beans, baby formula, baby wipes, medicine and other essentials. A separate vessel from the same convoy arrived in Havana on Tuesday, the navy said, but representatives for the convoy did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the missing boats.
As part of the response, Mexico established contact with maritime rescue coordination centers in Poland, France, Cuba and the United States. The navy also reached out to diplomatic representatives of the countries of origin of those on board. The coordination aims to support the search and to notify relevant foreign authorities about the missing crew members.
The situation remains unresolved as the search-and-rescue operation continues and officials await any confirmation of the vessels’ status or arrival.