Two boats carrying humanitarian supplies from Mexico successfully reached Havana after facing delays due to bad weather and a brief period of being unaccounted for. The Mexican navy confirmed the safe docking of the sailboats in the Cuban capital following surveillance of their final approach to the port. Initially reported missing on Thursday, the boats were located by a maritime surveillance aircraft on Friday about 148 kilometers northwest of Cuba.
Despite being hindered by adverse weather conditions, particularly strong winds, the crew members are in good health. The boats were part of a convoy aiming to provide essential items like food, medicine, and baby formula to Cuba. This effort comes as the U.S. blockade on shipments of oil and other goods has exacerbated power outages and forced the state to ration services on the island.
A spokesperson from the Nuestra America Convoy stated that the vessels are en route to Havana and that the convoy is steadfast in its commitment to deliver much-needed humanitarian aid to the Cuban people. The sailboats departed from Mexico’s Isla Mujeres the previous Saturday and were scheduled to reach Havana between March 24 and 25.
Initially, the U.S. Coast Guard informed a French news agency on Friday that the missing boats had been located, but later retracted the statement, causing confusion as the search efforts continued. The Nuestra America coalition, comprising nearly 300 organizations from over 30 countries, including non-governmental entities, unions, political parties, and lawmakers, has already delivered around 20 tons of aid to Cuba through both air and sea channels, including food, medicine, solar panels, and bicycles.