Missing aid boats have safely reached Cuba, US confirms

Missing aid vessels en route to Cuba from Mexico have now safely arrived

The US Coast Guard confirmed on Friday that two aid ships, which had gone missing during their journey from Mexico to Cuba, have successfully reached the Caribbean island. Earlier in the day, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel expressed “deep concern” over the situation, pledging to do all he could to rescue the individuals aboard. The boats, which departed Quintana Roo, Mexico, as part of the Our America convoy, were initially expected to arrive in Havana by Tuesday or Wednesday, according to the Mexican navy’s statement. However, they failed to arrive on schedule, prompting an alert.

Mexican authorities reported contacting representatives from Poland, France, Cuba, and the US, the countries of origin for the nine people onboard. A convoy spokesperson told AFP that the vessels were equipped with safety systems and that their crews were experienced sailors. “Mexican authorities have initiated their search-and-rescue protocol,” they said, adding that the boats had not yet reached their destination.

“We are doing everything possible to search for and save these brothers in arms,” Díaz-Canel wrote on X.

The US confirmed receipt of a report at 10:36 am local time (2:36 pm GMT) that the two vessels had safely transited to Cuba. The arrival follows months of economic strain on the island, exacerbated by a US oil embargo under Donald Trump. This measure left millions without power, a crisis intensified by Trump’s abrupt detention of Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s leader, in January, which struck a blow to Cuba’s Communist government.

The Our America convoy was organized by the Progressive International group to deliver critical supplies, including food and medicine, amid the ongoing US blockade. The mission included activists from 30 nations, with notable participants such as former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Spain’s ex-deputy prime minister Pablo Iglesias, and the Northern Irish rap group Kneecap. “The aim of the criminal blockade is clear: to starve the Cuban people into submission,” Corbyn stated in Novara Media.

Organizers emphasized the urgency of the mission, stating that the Trump administration’s efforts to isolate Cuba had worsened the situation. “There is no time to waste,” they said ahead of the convoy’s arrival, highlighting the need to support the island’s citizens during the escalating crisis.