🔗 Share this article Two Separate Cuba-Headed Humanitarian Sailboats Listed Missing following Leaving Mexican Waters. The vessels Friendship and Tigger Moth left Isla Mujeres, Mexico on the 20th of March. A extensive search and recovery mission is presently under way in the Caribbean waters for a pair of missing sailboats carrying aid cargo en route from the Mexican coast to Cuba. Military Search Operations Initiated The Mexican government has sent naval assets and search planes to find the Friendship and Tigger Moth, which were carrying a minimum of nine sailors, according to a military release. The ships had been projected to reach Cuba's capital on either Tuesday or Wednesday, but there has been a complete lack of contact from them and no official word of their arrival, the navy said. Background of Humanitarian Support to the Island The island nation has relied heavily on aid convoys from Mexico over the past few weeks, as the island endures widespread nationwide blackouts. "The crews and captains are veteran seafarers, and both vessels are equipped with suitable navigational gear and communication devices," an official associated with the mission commented. The nine-person crew are citizens of the United States, Cuba, France, and Poland. Officials said it has opened communications with maritime rescue coordination centres from those nations along with their embassy officials. "We are working closely with the authorities and remain confident in the crews' ability to make it to Cuba without incident," the spokesperson added. Previous Relief Delivery Previously that week, the Cuban government widely celebrated and warmly received a different ship that had delivered 14 tonnes of humanitarian aid to the country. That ship, nicknamed "a modern Granma" after the vessel in which Castro landed in Cuba to begin the Cuban Revolution in the 1950s, brought photovoltaic panels, drugs, infant formula, cycles and provisions. Larger Political Climate Charity groups and individuals have largely spearheaded efforts to bring critical assistance to Cuba since January, when a energy blockade on the country began. International organizations have since highlighted "dire" shortages of supplies, with in excess of 50,000 surgeries cancelled in Cuba amid electricity supply constraints. Diplomatic measures have increased lately, with remarks from several officials underscoring the delicate nature of diplomatic ties. Reacting to previous comments, a high-ranking government figure declared that "the political system of Cuba is non-negotiable." Accounts suggest that preliminary steps of discussions were initiated, although their present status remains not publicly known. The naval forces affirmed it was committed to using the full extent of its capabilities at its command to locate the boats and guarantee the well-being of the sailors. As of now, there has been no official comment on the missing boats by the government in Havana.
The vessels Friendship and Tigger Moth left Isla Mujeres, Mexico on the 20th of March. A extensive search and recovery mission is presently under way in the Caribbean waters for a pair of missing sailboats carrying aid cargo en route from the Mexican coast to Cuba. Military Search Operations Initiated The Mexican government has sent naval assets and search planes to find the Friendship and Tigger Moth, which were carrying a minimum of nine sailors, according to a military release. The ships had been projected to reach Cuba's capital on either Tuesday or Wednesday, but there has been a complete lack of contact from them and no official word of their arrival, the navy said. Background of Humanitarian Support to the Island The island nation has relied heavily on aid convoys from Mexico over the past few weeks, as the island endures widespread nationwide blackouts. "The crews and captains are veteran seafarers, and both vessels are equipped with suitable navigational gear and communication devices," an official associated with the mission commented. The nine-person crew are citizens of the United States, Cuba, France, and Poland. Officials said it has opened communications with maritime rescue coordination centres from those nations along with their embassy officials. "We are working closely with the authorities and remain confident in the crews' ability to make it to Cuba without incident," the spokesperson added. Previous Relief Delivery Previously that week, the Cuban government widely celebrated and warmly received a different ship that had delivered 14 tonnes of humanitarian aid to the country. That ship, nicknamed "a modern Granma" after the vessel in which Castro landed in Cuba to begin the Cuban Revolution in the 1950s, brought photovoltaic panels, drugs, infant formula, cycles and provisions. Larger Political Climate Charity groups and individuals have largely spearheaded efforts to bring critical assistance to Cuba since January, when a energy blockade on the country began. International organizations have since highlighted "dire" shortages of supplies, with in excess of 50,000 surgeries cancelled in Cuba amid electricity supply constraints. Diplomatic measures have increased lately, with remarks from several officials underscoring the delicate nature of diplomatic ties. Reacting to previous comments, a high-ranking government figure declared that "the political system of Cuba is non-negotiable." Accounts suggest that preliminary steps of discussions were initiated, although their present status remains not publicly known. The naval forces affirmed it was committed to using the full extent of its capabilities at its command to locate the boats and guarantee the well-being of the sailors. As of now, there has been no official comment on the missing boats by the government in Havana.