🔗 Share this article A Pair of Cuba-Headed Humanitarian Sailboats Declared Unaccounted For after Leaving Mexican Waters. Both ships named Friendship and Tigger Moth set off from Mexico on 20 March. A comprehensive rescue and recovery effort is actively under way in the Caribbean Sea for a duo of unlocated boats transporting humanitarian supplies journeying from Mexico to Havana. Naval Rescue Efforts Deployed Authorities in Mexico has sent naval teams and military search aircraft to locate the Friendship and Tigger Moth, which were carrying at least 9 crew members, per a navy statement. The ships had been expected to arrive in Havana on Tuesday or Wednesday, but there has been radio silence from them and no official word of their arrival, the navy said. Background of Humanitarian Support to Cuba The Caribbean nation has relied heavily on humanitarian shipments from Mexico over the last several weeks, as the nation struggles through repeated national electricity failures. "Both captains and crews are veteran seafarers, and each boat are equipped with proper navigational gear and communication devices," a spokesperson associated with the mission said. The nine individuals on board are from the United States, Cuba, France, and Poland. Mexican authorities said it has established contact with maritime rescue coordination centres from each country along with their embassy officials. "We are working closely with the relevant authorities and are still optimistic in the capability of the sailors to safely arrive in Havana," the statement continued. Previous Relief Mission Just days before, the Cuban authorities publicly celebrated and officially received a separate vessel that had carried a significant amount of donated goods to the nation. That ship, called "a new Granma" following the name of the yacht in which the revolutionary leader landed in Cuba to start the armed struggle in the 1950s, brought solar panels, pharmaceuticals, formula milk, cycles and foodstuffs. Wider Political Context Volunteers and NGOs have been at the forefront of efforts to ship humanitarian aid to Cuba since January, when a oil sanctions on the country was initiated. Global bodies have since warned of "dire" supply shortages, with over fifty thousand surgical procedures postponed in Cuba amid electricity supply constraints. Foreign policy measures have intensified over the past months, with statements from various leaders underscoring the complicated situation regarding relations. Reacting to previous statements, a high-ranking official from Cuba declared that "the governance model of Cuba is non-negotiable." Accounts suggest that early stages of talks had begun, although their ongoing development remains unclear. The naval forces affirmed it was pledged to using every available asset at its reach to find the sailboats and guarantee the safety of the sailors. As of now, there has been no official comment on the lost ships by the Cuban government.
Both ships named Friendship and Tigger Moth set off from Mexico on 20 March. A comprehensive rescue and recovery effort is actively under way in the Caribbean Sea for a duo of unlocated boats transporting humanitarian supplies journeying from Mexico to Havana. Naval Rescue Efforts Deployed Authorities in Mexico has sent naval teams and military search aircraft to locate the Friendship and Tigger Moth, which were carrying at least 9 crew members, per a navy statement. The ships had been expected to arrive in Havana on Tuesday or Wednesday, but there has been radio silence from them and no official word of their arrival, the navy said. Background of Humanitarian Support to Cuba The Caribbean nation has relied heavily on humanitarian shipments from Mexico over the last several weeks, as the nation struggles through repeated national electricity failures. "Both captains and crews are veteran seafarers, and each boat are equipped with proper navigational gear and communication devices," a spokesperson associated with the mission said. The nine individuals on board are from the United States, Cuba, France, and Poland. Mexican authorities said it has established contact with maritime rescue coordination centres from each country along with their embassy officials. "We are working closely with the relevant authorities and are still optimistic in the capability of the sailors to safely arrive in Havana," the statement continued. Previous Relief Mission Just days before, the Cuban authorities publicly celebrated and officially received a separate vessel that had carried a significant amount of donated goods to the nation. That ship, called "a new Granma" following the name of the yacht in which the revolutionary leader landed in Cuba to start the armed struggle in the 1950s, brought solar panels, pharmaceuticals, formula milk, cycles and foodstuffs. Wider Political Context Volunteers and NGOs have been at the forefront of efforts to ship humanitarian aid to Cuba since January, when a oil sanctions on the country was initiated. Global bodies have since warned of "dire" supply shortages, with over fifty thousand surgical procedures postponed in Cuba amid electricity supply constraints. Foreign policy measures have intensified over the past months, with statements from various leaders underscoring the complicated situation regarding relations. Reacting to previous statements, a high-ranking official from Cuba declared that "the governance model of Cuba is non-negotiable." Accounts suggest that early stages of talks had begun, although their ongoing development remains unclear. The naval forces affirmed it was pledged to using every available asset at its reach to find the sailboats and guarantee the safety of the sailors. As of now, there has been no official comment on the lost ships by the Cuban government.