The two sailing boats with nine activists on board that were missing for days and that wanted to bring relief supplies to Cuba have been found in the Caribbean region.
Mar 29, 2026, 8:01 a.mMar 29, 2026, 8:01 a.m
The crews were fine and attributed the delay to unfavorable weather conditions, particularly headwinds, the Mexican Navy said.
The two sailboats were escorted into Havana harbor.Image: keystone
According to the information, the two catamarans were discovered by a reconnaissance aircraft around 80 nautical miles northwest of Cuba. The Navy then contacted the activists. A navy ship will now accompany the boats on their further journey and ensure a safe arrival in Cuba.
Search with international participation
The nine activists of various nationalities set sail from the Mexican island of Isla Mujeres on March 20 to bring relief supplies to Cuba. After they did not arrive as planned and there was no contact, the authorities launched a search and rescue operation. Airplanes and ships were used and international bodies were involved. According to its own information, Mexico was in contact with, among other things, maritime rescue control centers and embassies of several countries.
Recently, several international activist groups tried to bring relief supplies to Cuba by air and sea. The island has been in a severe economic crisis for years, which has been exacerbated in the last three months by a US oil embargo. The US government under Donald Trump is putting considerable pressure on Cuba to force the communist government to implement economic and political reforms. (sda/dpa)