The two sailboats transporting humanitarian aid to Cuba arrived in Havana yesterday after a long journey from Mexico during which they disappeared and were later relocated in a search mission. The nine-member crew, which included U.S., French, and German citizens, as well as a four-year-old child, appeared to be in good health and good spirits. They smiled and gave thumbs up as they docked in the capital under clear skies.
The vessels, missing since Thursday, were carrying the latest shipments from the Nuestra América convoy, an international humanitarian initiative that has delivered aid to support Cuba as a U.S. oil blockade worsens the island’s energy and economic crisis. We deeply regret having made people worry about us. We were never in any real danger, Adnaan Stumo, a 33-year-old American and coordinator of the sailboat convoy, told the press.
It was not a very difficult trip. It was just a tortuous one, Stumo said. Of the child, he added, he is a strong young sailor.
We were not worried at all
The Friend Ship and the Tiger Moth, which set sail from the Yucatán Peninsula in southeastern Mexico, had been expected to arrive in Cuba between Tuesday and Wednesday. But the Mexican Navy lost contact with them and launched a search operation on Thursday.
After a tense wait, convoy organizers reported early Saturday that the Mexican Navy had finally located the boats and that the crews were safe. The Navy said one of its aircraft had spotted the sailboats 80 nautical miles northwest of Havana. It then deployed a vessel to assist them.
Stumo explained that the crews agreed to take a longer northern route after encountering strong easterly winds. He said contact with the Mexican Navy was lost because the boat’s small satellite link was malfunctioning. They later reestablished contact with the Mexican Navy aircraft.
We were not worried at all, Stumo said, noting that arriving on schedule is never guaranteed on sailboats. We are very grateful that the Mexican Navy went out looking for us last night. The boats were welcomed by dozens of Cubans, including government officials, who chanted Long live the revolution and Down with imperialism.
Cuba is next
The convoy’s first shipments arrived by air from Europe and the United States last week. A fishing boat converted into an aid vessel, which had also departed from Mexico the previous week, arrived in Cuba on Tuesday. It had been escorted for part of the journey by a Mexican Navy ship.
In total, the convoy brought more than 50 tons of medical supplies, food, water, and solar panels to Cuba, with hospitals among the recipients. Cuban exiles in Miami and other critics have sharply criticized the convoy, arguing that it benefits the communist government more than ordinary people.
After cutting off oil supplies from Venezuela, Cuba’s main supplier for 25 years, in January, the Trump administration launched a de facto oil embargo. Cuba is next, Trump said Friday, in a new threat against the island.
The Republican president has previously speculated about taking the island, though without specifying how he would plan to do so. His Cuban counterpart, Miguel Díaz-Canel, said last week that any external aggressor would face an unbreakable resistance. The Sheinbaum government has sent at least four shipments of humanitarian aid to the island since mid-February, delivering more than 3,000 tons of supplies, including milk, meat products, beans, rice, and personal hygiene items.
Mexico and the president of Mexico have no idea how many Cuban women and Cuban men would like to personally thank your president for everything she has done for Cuba in these times, Díaz-Canel said in an interview he gave Thursday to the Mexican newspaper La Jornada.
