Two Separate Cuba-Destined Relief Ships Reported Unaccounted For after Leaving Mexico.

A large-scale search and rescue mission is currently under way in the Caribbean waters for two missing boats loaded with humanitarian supplies journeying from Mexico to the island of Cuba.

Maritime Search Efforts Launched

The Mexican government has dispatched navy personnel and military search aircraft to find the two vessels, which were transporting at least nine personnel, per a military release.

The vessels had been projected to make landfall in Cuba's capital on either Tuesday or Wednesday, but there has been radio silence from them and no official word of their safe arrival, the statement clarified.

The Situation of Aid to Cuba

The island nation has depended significantly on aid convoys from Mexico over recent weeks, as the nation endures multiple national electricity failures.

"Both captains and crews are seasoned mariners, and the two ships are outfitted with appropriate safety systems and signalling equipment," a spokesperson for the convoy commented.

The nine-person crew are citizens of Poland, France, Cuba and the US. Mexico said it has been in touch with rescue coordination centers from each country along with their diplomatic representatives.

"We are co-operating fully with the relevant authorities and are still optimistic in the crews' ability to safely arrive in Havana," the spokesperson added.

Previous Aid Delivery

Previously that week, the Cuban government widely celebrated and greeted with fanfare a different ship that had carried 14 tonnes of donated goods to the country.

That ship, nicknamed "Granma 2.0" in reference to the vessel in which Castro returned to Cuba to start the Cuban Revolution in the 1950s, carried solar panels, drugs, baby formula, cycles and provisions.

Wider Political Climate

Volunteers and NGOs have largely spearheaded attempts to ship humanitarian aid to Cuba starting at the turn of the year, when a oil sanctions on the country came into effect.

The United Nations have since highlighted "dire" supply shortages, with in excess of 50k operations cancelled in Cuba because of power shortages.

Foreign policy tensions have increased over the past months, with remarks from different leaders highlighting the complicated nature of relations.

Reacting to certain proposals, a high-ranking official from Cuba declared that "the governance model of Cuba is not subject to discussion."

Accounts suggest that initial phases of negotiations were initiated, although their ongoing development remains not publicly known.

The Mexican navy said it was pledged to using every available asset at its disposal to locate the vessels and secure the safety of the people on board.

To date, there has been silence on the missing boats by the government in Havana.