Two Cuba-bound Aid Ships Declared Lost following Setting Sail from Mexican Waters.

A comprehensive rescue and recovery mission is presently ongoing in the Caribbean waters for a duo of lost boats transporting humanitarian supplies traveling from Mexico to Cuba.

Military Rescue Efforts Launched

The Mexican government has deployed naval teams and military search aircraft to search for the two vessels, which were transporting no fewer than 9 crew members, as stated by a military release.

The ships had been expected to reach Havana on Tuesday or Wednesday, but there has been a complete lack of contact from them and no official word of their safe arrival, authorities reported.

Background of Relief to the Nation

The Caribbean nation has depended significantly on humanitarian shipments from Mexico over the last several weeks, as the island endures multiple power outages across the country.

"The crews and captains are seasoned mariners, and each boat are equipped with proper navigational gear and communication devices," an official for the convoy stated.

The nine crew members are citizens of Poland, France, Cuba and the US. Officials said it has established contact with maritime rescue coordination centres from those nations along with their embassy officials.

"Our team is collaborating completely with the relevant authorities and remain confident in the crews' ability to make it to Cuba without incident," the spokesperson added.

Earlier Humanitarian Mission

Earlier in the week, the Cuban government widely celebrated and greeted with fanfare another boat that had delivered a significant amount of relief supplies to the nation.

That ship, nicknamed "a new Granma" following the name of the vessel in which Castro returned to Cuba to start the Cuban Revolution in the 1950s, carried photovoltaic panels, medicines, formula milk, cycles and food.

Larger International Context

Non-governmental organizations and volunteers have primarily led attempts to deliver critical assistance to Cuba starting at the turn of the year, when a energy blockade on the country was initiated.

The United Nations have since raised alarms about "dire" shortages of supplies, with in excess of 50,000 surgeries postponed in Cuba due to power shortages.

Diplomatic measures have increased in recent months, with comments from several leaders highlighting the complicated nature of bilateral relations.

Reacting to previous statements, a senior official from Cuba stated firmly that "the political system of Cuba is not subject to discussion."

Reports suggest that preliminary steps of discussions commenced, although their present status remains not publicly known.

The maritime authorities stated it was dedicated to using every available asset at its command to find the boats and ensure the well-being of the sailors.

At this time, there has been no public statement on the disappeared vessels by the Cuban government.