Two Separate Cuba-Destined Humanitarian Vessels Declared Lost after Departing Mexican Waters.
A comprehensive rescue and recovery operation is presently in progress in the Caribbean Sea for a pair of lost boats loaded with humanitarian supplies en route from the Mexican coast to the island of Cuba.
Military Rescue Missions Initiated
The Mexican government has dispatched naval teams and military search aircraft to locate the two vessels, which were carrying no fewer than nine total crew members, per a official statement.
The boats had been scheduled to make landfall in the Cuban capital on either Tuesday or Wednesday, but there has been a complete lack of contact from them and no official word of their docking, authorities reported.
The Situation of Humanitarian Support to Cuba
The island nation has relied heavily on aid convoys from Mexico over the past few weeks, as the nation struggles through multiple nationwide blackouts.
"Both crews and captains are veteran seafarers, and both vessels are outfitted with appropriate safety systems and signalling equipment," an official for the convoy stated.
The nine-person crew are nationals of France, Poland, the United States, and Cuba. Mexico said it has been in touch with maritime rescue coordination centres from the involved countries along with their embassy officials.
"The group is co-operating fully with the officials and remain confident in the crews' ability to safely arrive in Havana," the spokesperson added.
Recent Humanitarian Delivery
Just days before, the government in Havana publicly celebrated and warmly received a separate vessel that had transported 14 tonnes of relief supplies to the island.
That ship, called "a modern Granma" after the vessel in which the revolutionary leader landed in Cuba to begin the armed struggle in the 1950s, carried photovoltaic panels, drugs, formula milk, bikes and food.
Wider International Backdrop
Charity groups and individuals have largely spearheaded efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Cuba beginning in January, when a fuel embargo on the country came into effect.
Global bodies have since warned of ""critical" shortages of supplies, with more than 50k operations cancelled in Cuba amid power shortages.
Diplomatic tensions have intensified lately, with comments from various representatives emphasizing the delicate situation regarding diplomatic ties.
Responding to certain proposals, a senior Cuban official stated firmly that "the socialist system of Cuba is not up for negotiation."
Accounts suggest that early stages of negotiations had begun, although their present status remains not publicly known.
The Mexican navy said it was pledged to using all of the resources at its reach to locate the sailboats and guarantee the security of the sailors.
As of now, there has been no public statement on the lost ships by the Cuban government.
