Two sailboats carrying humanitarian supplies from Mexico safely reached Havana on Saturday, as confirmed by Mexico’s navy, marking the end of a challenging voyage marred by adverse weather conditions and a brief period of being unaccounted for.
The Mexican navy affirmed that the sailboats successfully docked at the Cuban capital following close monitoring of their final approach to the port. Initially reported missing on Thursday, the sailboats were located by a maritime surveillance aircraft on Friday, around 148 kilometers northwest of Cuba, due to unfavorable weather conditions, mainly strong winds.
Despite facing delays, the crews aboard the sailboats reported being in good health. The vessels were part of a larger convoy aiming to deliver essential items such as food, medicine, baby formula, and other supplies to Cuba, which is currently grappling with power shortages exacerbated by a U.S. blockade on oil and other critical resources.
A spokesperson for the Nuestra America Convoy expressed that the sailboats are continuing their journey towards Havana, emphasizing the convoy’s commitment to fulfilling its humanitarian mission of providing urgent aid to the Cuban population.
The sailboats embarked on their journey from Mexico’s Isla Mujeres the previous Saturday and were anticipated to reach Havana between March 24 and 25. Initially, the U.S. Coast Guard informed the media on Friday that the boats had been located, but later retracted the statement, causing confusion as the search efforts were ongoing.
The Nuestra America coalition, comprising nearly 300 organizations from over 30 countries, including NGOs, unions, political entities, and legislators, has contributed around 20 tons of aid through both air and sea routes to Cuba, encompassing supplies like food, medicine, solar panels, and bicycles.
