Missing aid boats have safely reached Cuba, US confirms
Missing aid boats have safely reached Cuba, US confirms
The United States Coast Guard confirmed on Friday that two humanitarian aid vessels, which had gone missing during their journey from Mexico to Cuba, have successfully arrived in Havana. The boats were part of the Our America convoy, a multinational effort to deliver supplies to the Caribbean nation amid its ongoing economic challenges.
Earlier in the day, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel expressed “deep concern” over the fate of the nine individuals aboard the missing ships. He assured that his government would “do everything it could to save the people” on the vessels, which had departed from Quintana Roo, Mexico, as part of an international aid mission. The Mexican navy initially expected the boats to reach their destination by Tuesday or Wednesday, but the delay triggered a search operation.
A spokesperson for the convoy told AFP that Mexican authorities had activated their search-and-rescue protocol after the vessels failed to arrive. They highlighted the experienced crews and the safety equipment on board, emphasizing that “both vessels are equipped with appropriate systems to ensure visibility and communication.” The US Coast Guard, which did not participate in the search, reported at 10.36am that the boats “safely transited to Cuba.”
Cuba’s economic crisis deepens
Cuba has faced one of its most severe economic downturns since the 1959 revolution, exacerbated by a US oil embargo imposed under Donald Trump. The blockade has left millions of citizens without reliable access to electricity, with Díaz-Canel lamenting in an interview with La Jornada that “we haven’t received a drop of fuel for nearly four months.” The situation worsened when Trump’s administration detained Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s leader, in January, dealing a blow to Cuba’s alliances.
“The aim of the criminal blockade is clear: to starve the Cuban people into submission,” wrote Jeremy Corbyn in Novara Media, describing the US policy as an attack on the island’s resilience.
The aid convoy was organized by the Progressive International, a leftwing political group, to provide essential supplies like food and medicine to Cubans. The mission aimed to highlight the nation’s struggles under the Trump-era sanctions. Participants included notable figures such as former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Spain’s former deputy prime minister Pablo Iglesias, and the Northern Irish rap group Kneecap, who traveled by both boat and plane.
As the Trump administration intensifies its economic pressure on Cuba, the convoy’s organizers stressed the urgency of their mission. “There is no time to waste,” they said, noting the blockade’s role in isolating the Cuban population and the need for international support.
