Two humanitarian aid sailboats reached Havana after going missing, sparking a search by the Mexican Navy before the crew was found safe and well.
HAVANA: Two sailboats carrying humanitarian aid to Cuba arrived in the capital on Saturday after a tense, days-long disappearance during their voyage from Mexico.
The Mexican Navy had launched a search-and-rescue operation after losing contact with the vessels, which were overdue. The crew of nine, including citizens from the US, France, and Germany, plus a four-year-old boy, were all found safe and in good spirits.
They smiled and gave thumbs-up as they moored in Havana under clear skies. “We are very sorry to make people worried about us. We were never in any real danger,” said Adnaan Stumo, the 33-year-old American coordinator of the sailing convoy.
The ‘Friend Ship’ and ‘Tiger Moth’ had set sail from Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula on March 20 and were expected days earlier. Stumo explained the delay was due to strong easterly winds forcing a longer northern route.
He said contact was lost because the boat’s small satellite link “was on the fritz.” The Mexican Navy located the sailboats 80 nautical miles northwest of Havana and deployed a ship to support them.
“We are very thankful that the Mexican Navy came out and looked for us last night,” Stumo added. The vessels delivered the final shipments of the ‘Our America Convoy’, an international effort bringing aid to Cuba.
The convoy has delivered over 50 tonnes of medical supplies, food, water, and solar panels to the island. Cuba is facing a severe energy and economic crisis, deepened by a US oil blockade.
US President Donald Trump imposed the de facto blockade in January. He renewed threats against Havana on Friday, stating “Cuba is next” amid ongoing regional tensions.
The arriving crew was greeted by scores of Cubans and officials chanting revolutionary slogans. “They scared us a little because we kept wondering, ‘when will they get here?’” said former Cuban spy Gerardo Hernandez.
Cuban exiles in Miami have criticised the aid convoy, arguing it benefits the communist government more than ordinary people. The sailboats brought medicine, food, hygiene products, and other supplies.
The Sun Malaysia
