The Mexican Navy and the United States Coast Guard have confirmed that search efforts are ongoing for two missing sailboats that were part of a humanitarian convoy bound for Cuba this week. The vessels, carrying nine people in total, departed from Isla Mujeres, Mexico, on March 20 and were initially expected to arrive in Cuba on Tuesday or Wednesday. Search operations are currently being led by Cuba and Mexico, with the US Coast Guard telling Reuters it remains prepared to provide support if requested, after retracting an earlier statement to AFP that the boats had been located.
The sailboats were part of an expedition organized by the Nuestra América Convoy, which has accused the US government of "strangling" Cuba by "cutting off fuel, flights, and critical supplies for survival." Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel voiced concern about the fate of the boats on social media Friday, pledging to do everything possible to search for and rescue "these brothers in the struggle." The convoy itself expressed confidence to international media that the missing vessels would be recovered, noting they were led by experienced sailors with signaling and safety equipment.
The convoy was launched in response to worsening humanitarian conditions in Cuba, which has faced severe shortages of foreign oil supplies since January. This followed a US military operation to abduct and imprison then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, after which former US President Donald Trump announced Venezuela would no longer supply Cuba with money or oil. On January 29, Trump escalated pressure by declaring Cuba a national security threat and pledging tariffs on any country providing oil to the island, directly or indirectly.
The Trump administration has signaled its desire for regime change in Cuba, a position reiterated by top US diplomat Marco Rubio on Friday. The long-running US embargo against Cuba, intensified under Trump, has led the United Nations to warn of a humanitarian "collapse" on the island. Cuba's antiquated energy grid, heavily reliant on fossil fuels, experienced its second island-wide blackout in less than a week on March 21, raising alarms from medical professionals about patient fatalities without electricity.
Mexico and other countries have increased humanitarian aid to Cuba amid the crisis. One vessel from the Nuestra América Convoy, a former fishing boat, arrived safely in Havana on Tuesday carrying 14 tonnes of food and medicine. However, some residents in Havana expressed anxiety about the missing ships, with one taxi driver telling AFP it was "sad" that those coming to help were now lost.
Source: www.aljazeera.com