By Dave Sherwood and Lizbeth Diaz
HAVANA, March 28 (Reuters) – Two sailboats carrying humanitarian aid from Mexico arrived safely in Havana on Saturday, the Mexican Navy said, concluding a journey in which the vessels were delayed by bad weather and briefly reported missing.
The navy confirmed the sailboats docked safely in the Cuban capital after authorities monitored their final approach to the port.
After being reported missing on Thursday, a maritime surveillance aircraft spotted the sailboats on Friday, approximately 80 nautical miles (148 km) northwest of Cuba, the Mexican Navy said earlier on Saturday. The crews reported they were in good health but had been slowed by unfavorable weather, particularly winds.
The two boats are part of a convoy seeking to deliver food, medicine, baby formula and other supplies to the Caribbean’s largest island, amid a U.S. blockade on shipments of oil and other supplies that has worsened power outages and led the state to ration services.
“The vessels are continuing their journey to Havana,” a spokesperson for the Nuestra America Convoy said. “The convoy remains on track to complete its mission — delivering urgently needed humanitarian aid to the Cuban people.”
The sailboats went missing after leaving Mexico’s Isla Mujeres last Saturday and had been expected to arrive in Havana between March 24 and 25.
The U.S. Coast Guard initially told French press agency AFP on Friday that the boats had been found but later recanted its statement, saying a search was still under way, prompting confusion.
The Nuestra America – “Our America” in Spanish – coalition includes nearly 300 organizations from more than 30 countries, among them non-governmental groups, unions, political parties and lawmakers.
The group has delivered approximately 20 tons of aid by air and sea to Cuba, including food, medicine, solar panels and bicycles.
(Reporting by Dave Sherwood and Lizbeth Diaz in Mexico City; Additional reporting by Natalia Siniawski, Editing by Joe Bavier, Alistair Bell, Rod Nickel)
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