A comprehensive search and recovery mission is presently in progress in the Caribbean region for a pair of lost sailing vessels loaded with aid cargo journeying from Mexico to Cuba.
Mexico has deployed navy personnel and search planes to locate the Friendship and Tigger Moth, which were carrying at least 9 personnel, as stated by a official statement.
The boats had been scheduled to reach Cuba's capital on Tuesday or Wednesday, but there has been a complete lack of contact from them and zero verification of their docking, the statement clarified.
The island nation has leaned on aid convoys from Mexico over recent weeks, as the nation grapples with multiple nationwide blackouts.
"The captains and crews are seasoned mariners, and the two ships are fitted with proper navigational gear and communication devices," a spokesperson for the convoy stated.
The nine crew members are from France, Poland, the United States, and Cuba. Mexican authorities said it has established contact with rescue coordination centers from those nations along with their consular staff.
"Our team is co-operating fully with the officials and continue to be hopeful in the crews' ability to safely arrive in Havana," the statement continued.
Previously that week, the Cuban authorities publicly celebrated and officially received another boat that had delivered 14 tons of donated goods to the island.
That vessel, dubbed "Granma 2.0" after the yacht in which Castro came back to Cuba to launch the revolution in the 1950s, brought solar equipment, pharmaceuticals, baby formula, bikes and food.
Volunteers and NGOs have largely spearheaded efforts to ship humanitarian aid to Cuba beginning in January, coinciding with the time a oil sanctions on the country began.
The United Nations have since warned of ""critical" lack of essential goods, with more than 50,000 operations called off in Cuba due to power shortages.
Diplomatic measures have increased in recent months, with remarks from different leaders highlighting the delicate nature of bilateral relations.
In response to recent proposals, a high-ranking Cuban official stated firmly that "the governance model of Cuba is not up for negotiation."
Reports suggest that early stages of discussions commenced, although their present status remains uncertain.
The naval forces stated it was committed to using every available asset at its reach to find the sailboats and ensure the safety of the people on board.
To date, there has been silence on the disappeared vessels by the government in Havana.
