🔗 Share this article A Pair of Cuba-Destined Humanitarian Ships Reported Lost after Setting Sail from Mexico. The vessels Friendship and Tigger Moth set off from Quintana Roo on 20 March. A comprehensive rescue and recovery operation is actively in progress in the Caribbean Sea for two lost sailing vessels loaded with aid cargo traveling from Mexico to the island of Cuba. Military Search Missions Initiated Mexico has deployed naval assets and reconnaissance aircraft to find the two vessels, which were had on board no fewer than nine crew members, as stated by a official statement. The vessels had been expected to reach Havana on Tuesday or Wednesday, but there has been a complete lack of contact from them and no official word of their safe arrival, the statement clarified. The Situation of Relief to Cuba The island nation has leaned on humanitarian shipments from Mexico over recent weeks, as the nation endures widespread power outages across the country. "The skippers and their teams are experienced sailors, and both vessels are equipped with appropriate safety equipment and emergency beacons," an official involved in the effort said. The nine-person crew are from Poland, France, Cuba and the US. Officials said it has opened communications with coast guard agencies from the involved countries along with their embassy officials. "Our team is working closely with the officials and continue to be hopeful in the capability of the sailors to safely arrive in Havana," the official further stated. Recent Humanitarian Mission Previously that week, the Cuban authorities warmly welcomed and officially received another boat that had delivered a significant amount of relief supplies to the country. That vessel, nicknamed "a new Granma" following the name of the vessel in which Castro landed in Cuba to begin the armed struggle in the 1950s, delivered solar equipment, drugs, infant formula, bikes and provisions. Wider International Climate Volunteers and NGOs have been at the forefront of attempts to bring essential supplies to Cuba since January, coinciding with the time a fuel embargo on the country was initiated. Global bodies have since highlighted "dire" shortages of supplies, with in excess of fifty thousand surgeries postponed in Cuba amid energy rationing. Foreign policy pressure have increased over the past months, with statements from different officials emphasizing the complex situation regarding diplomatic ties. Responding to previous proposals, a senior Cuban official insisted that "the socialist system of Cuba is not subject to discussion." Reports suggest that early stages of discussions commenced, although their current progress remains not publicly known. The naval forces stated it was committed to using the full extent of its capabilities at its command to discover the boats and ensure the well-being of the crews. As of now, there has been no official comment on the disappeared vessels by the Cuban leadership.
The vessels Friendship and Tigger Moth set off from Quintana Roo on 20 March. A comprehensive rescue and recovery operation is actively in progress in the Caribbean Sea for two lost sailing vessels loaded with aid cargo traveling from Mexico to the island of Cuba. Military Search Missions Initiated Mexico has deployed naval assets and reconnaissance aircraft to find the two vessels, which were had on board no fewer than nine crew members, as stated by a official statement. The vessels had been expected to reach Havana on Tuesday or Wednesday, but there has been a complete lack of contact from them and no official word of their safe arrival, the statement clarified. The Situation of Relief to Cuba The island nation has leaned on humanitarian shipments from Mexico over recent weeks, as the nation endures widespread power outages across the country. "The skippers and their teams are experienced sailors, and both vessels are equipped with appropriate safety equipment and emergency beacons," an official involved in the effort said. The nine-person crew are from Poland, France, Cuba and the US. Officials said it has opened communications with coast guard agencies from the involved countries along with their embassy officials. "Our team is working closely with the officials and continue to be hopeful in the capability of the sailors to safely arrive in Havana," the official further stated. Recent Humanitarian Mission Previously that week, the Cuban authorities warmly welcomed and officially received another boat that had delivered a significant amount of relief supplies to the country. That vessel, nicknamed "a new Granma" following the name of the vessel in which Castro landed in Cuba to begin the armed struggle in the 1950s, delivered solar equipment, drugs, infant formula, bikes and provisions. Wider International Climate Volunteers and NGOs have been at the forefront of attempts to bring essential supplies to Cuba since January, coinciding with the time a fuel embargo on the country was initiated. Global bodies have since highlighted "dire" shortages of supplies, with in excess of fifty thousand surgeries postponed in Cuba amid energy rationing. Foreign policy pressure have increased over the past months, with statements from different officials emphasizing the complex situation regarding diplomatic ties. Responding to previous proposals, a senior Cuban official insisted that "the socialist system of Cuba is not subject to discussion." Reports suggest that early stages of discussions commenced, although their current progress remains not publicly known. The naval forces stated it was committed to using the full extent of its capabilities at its command to discover the boats and ensure the well-being of the crews. As of now, there has been no official comment on the disappeared vessels by the Cuban leadership.