Mexico has launched an urgent search-and-rescue operation for two sailboats carrying humanitarian supplies to Cuba after both vessels failed to arrive in Havana nearly a week after departing from Isla Mujeres, in the southeastern state of Quintana Roo.
According to the Mexican Navy, the boats left Mexico last Friday as part of the Nuestra América Convoy, an international humanitarian initiative delivering urgently needed relief materials to crisis-hit Cuba.
The vessels were carrying nine crew members of different nationalities, along with medical supplies, food items, solar panels, baby formula, and other essential goods intended to support communities affected by the island’s worsening economic and energy crisis.
Authorities said communication with both crews was lost during the voyage, prompting the activation of maritime rescue protocols across the Caribbean.
The Mexican Navy confirmed that aircraft and naval rescue units have been deployed along the route between Isla Mujeres and Havana, while coordination is ongoing with maritime rescue centres in Poland, France, Cuba, and the United States, as well as diplomatic missions linked to the nationalities of those on board.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel expressed concern over the disappearance and pledged full cooperation in the search effort.
“We express our deep concern for the two Mexican vessels transporting humanitarian aid to Cuba as part of the Our America Convoy,” he wrote on X, adding that Cuban authorities were doing everything possible to assist in locating the boats.
One vessel from the same convoy — a converted fishing boat carrying similar supplies — successfully arrived in Havana earlier this week after delays caused by rough weather, ocean currents, and technical difficulties. However, the two sailboats, identified by organizers as Friendship and Tigger Moth, have yet to reach Cuban waters.
Organisers of the convoy said both captains are experienced sailors and that the boats were equipped with standard safety and signalling systems, expressing cautious confidence that the crews may still arrive safely.
The humanitarian mission comes at a time when Cuba continues to grapple with severe shortages of fuel, medicine, and food, amid repeated nationwide blackouts and growing economic pressure linked to tightened U.S. sanctions and restrictions on oil supplies to the island.
About the Author
