🔗 Share this article Two Cuba-bound Aid Sailboats Listed Missing subsequent to Setting Sail from Mexico. Both Friendship and Tigger Moth departed Mexico on March 20th. A large-scale rescue and recovery mission is presently ongoing in the Caribbean Sea for a duo of missing sailing vessels loaded with relief goods traveling from the Mexican coast to the island of Cuba. Naval Rescue Efforts Initiated The Mexican government has deployed navy personnel and reconnaissance aircraft to find the two vessels, which were carrying no fewer than 9 personnel, as stated by a official statement. The ships had been scheduled to make landfall in the Cuban capital on the early part of the week, but there has been radio silence from them and zero verification of their arrival, the statement clarified. Background of Aid to Cuba Cuba has depended significantly on aid convoys from Mexico over the last several weeks, as the island endures widespread power outages across the country. "Both crews and captains are seasoned mariners, and the two ships are outfitted with suitable safety equipment and signalling equipment," a representative for the convoy stated. The nine-person crew are citizens of the United States, Cuba, France, and Poland. Officials said it has established contact with maritime rescue coordination centres from each country along with their diplomatic representatives. "We are working closely with the authorities and continue to be hopeful in the capability of the sailors to reach Havana safely," the official further stated. Recent Relief Mission Earlier in the week, the Cuban government warmly welcomed and officially received a separate vessel that had transported 14 tonnes of donated goods to the island. That boat, nicknamed "a new Granma" after the boat in which Fidel Castro returned to Cuba to begin the Cuban Revolution in the 1950s, carried solar equipment, drugs, baby formula, bicycles and foodstuffs. Larger Political Backdrop Non-governmental organizations and volunteers have been at the forefront of attempts to ship critical assistance to Cuba since January, when a energy blockade on the island nation was initiated. Global bodies have since raised alarms about "dire" shortages of supplies, with more than 50,000 surgeries postponed in Cuba due to energy rationing. Political tensions have intensified over the past months, with statements from several representatives underscoring the complex state of bilateral relations. Responding to previous comments, a senior government figure stated firmly that "the political system of Cuba is not up for negotiation." Reports suggest that preliminary steps of negotiations had begun, although their present status remains not publicly known. The maritime authorities said it was committed to using all of the resources at its reach to locate the boats and ensure the security of the people on board. To date, there has been no public statement on the lost ships by the Cuban government.
Both Friendship and Tigger Moth departed Mexico on March 20th. A large-scale rescue and recovery mission is presently ongoing in the Caribbean Sea for a duo of missing sailing vessels loaded with relief goods traveling from the Mexican coast to the island of Cuba. Naval Rescue Efforts Initiated The Mexican government has deployed navy personnel and reconnaissance aircraft to find the two vessels, which were carrying no fewer than 9 personnel, as stated by a official statement. The ships had been scheduled to make landfall in the Cuban capital on the early part of the week, but there has been radio silence from them and zero verification of their arrival, the statement clarified. Background of Aid to Cuba Cuba has depended significantly on aid convoys from Mexico over the last several weeks, as the island endures widespread power outages across the country. "Both crews and captains are seasoned mariners, and the two ships are outfitted with suitable safety equipment and signalling equipment," a representative for the convoy stated. The nine-person crew are citizens of the United States, Cuba, France, and Poland. Officials said it has established contact with maritime rescue coordination centres from each country along with their diplomatic representatives. "We are working closely with the authorities and continue to be hopeful in the capability of the sailors to reach Havana safely," the official further stated. Recent Relief Mission Earlier in the week, the Cuban government warmly welcomed and officially received a separate vessel that had transported 14 tonnes of donated goods to the island. That boat, nicknamed "a new Granma" after the boat in which Fidel Castro returned to Cuba to begin the Cuban Revolution in the 1950s, carried solar equipment, drugs, baby formula, bicycles and foodstuffs. Larger Political Backdrop Non-governmental organizations and volunteers have been at the forefront of attempts to ship critical assistance to Cuba since January, when a energy blockade on the island nation was initiated. Global bodies have since raised alarms about "dire" shortages of supplies, with more than 50,000 surgeries postponed in Cuba due to energy rationing. Political tensions have intensified over the past months, with statements from several representatives underscoring the complex state of bilateral relations. Responding to previous comments, a senior government figure stated firmly that "the political system of Cuba is not up for negotiation." Reports suggest that preliminary steps of negotiations had begun, although their present status remains not publicly known. The maritime authorities said it was committed to using all of the resources at its reach to locate the boats and ensure the security of the people on board. To date, there has been no public statement on the lost ships by the Cuban government.