Boats with volunteers taking food to Cuba disappear in the Caribbean; Mexico searches

The humanitarian aid brought by the Nuestra América flotilla from Mexico is classified at the William Soler Pediatric Cardiology Center, in Havana Lisandra Cots/AFP Mexican authorities continued, this Friday (27), the search for two missing sailboats with nine crew members of different nationalities that were transporting humanitarian aid to Cuba, the organizers of the convoy reported. In a publication on X, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez said he was concerned about the disappearance of the vessels. “We express our special concern about the two Mexican ships transporting solidarity aid to Cuba as part of Convoy Nuestra América,” he wrote. “From our country, we are doing everything possible to search and rescue these brothers in arms”, he concluded. United States President Donald Trump imposed an oil embargo on Cuba in January, worsening the Caribbean island’s energy and economic crisis. See the videos that are trending on g1 The Mexican Navy reported on Thursday that it had begun an operation to locate the two missing vessels, which were transporting food and other supplies to Cuba. They left on Friday (20) from Isla Mujeres (in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, in the southeast of the country) and were expected to arrive in Havana between Tuesday and Wednesday this week, according to information from the Navy. “Mexican authorities activated the search and rescue protocol for two sailboats that were heading to Havana as part of the convoy and have not yet arrived,” a spokesperson for the Nuestra América convoy told AFP on Friday. “The captains and crews are experienced navigators, and both vessels are equipped with adequate safety and signaling systems,” the spokesperson added, stating that they “remain confident in the crews’ ability to reach Havana safely.” “Based on the speed of the vessels reported to Cuban maritime authorities, the estimated arrival in Havana is between the evening of Friday, March 27th and midday on Saturday, March 28th,” the spokesperson explained. The Mexican Navy indicated on Thursday that so far it has not received “communication or confirmation of the arrival” of the vessels on the island, therefore it has activated the region’s naval commands and their search and rescue posts. Crisis in Cuba The Mexican Navy did not specify the identities or nationalities of the crew, but reported that it maintains communication with agencies and rescue centers in Poland, France, Cuba and the United States. He added that he is also in contact “with diplomatic missions from the countries of origin of the people on board” to cooperate and exchange information in real time. The searches include Persuader aircraft along the estimated route between Isla Mujeres and Havana, taking into account the planned route, possible changes in direction and weather conditions, the Navy explained. The institution also appealed to the civil and commercial maritime community in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico to “immediately” report any information or sightings of the sailboats to the nearest naval authority. Cuba faces a deep crisis worsened by the suspension of oil supplies from Venezuela following the capture of deposed president Nicolás Maduro in an operation by US forces on January 3. The UN is in negotiations with Washington to allow the entry of fuel for humanitarian purposes. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel imposed emergency measures to conserve fuel, including strict rationing.

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