Cubans welcome activists and crew members of the sailboats Friendship and Tiger Moth, part of the Nuestra América convoy, which arrived on March 28 at the port of Havana with humanitarian aid. Photo: EFE.
The sailboats Friendship and Tiger Moth entered the port of Havana on Saturday, March 28, the last two members of the international solidarity convoy to Cuba, Nuestra América, to do so. Their arrival came after days of uncertainty and a coordinated search by specialized agencies from Mexico and Cuba, as unfavorable weather conditions and adverse winds caused significant delays and a total loss of communication.
The two vessels, which departed from Mexico’s Isla Mujeres on March 20, entered Havana Bay through its entrance channel at 4:00 p.m. local time on Saturday, assisted by harbor pilots. On board each boat were 10 activists representing various nationalities, in addition to their crews. The mission is carrying vital humanitarian aid, including medical donations for the Cuban healthcare system.
Personal de la SecretarĂa de Marina-Armada de MĂ©xico localizĂł y atendiĂł a los nueve tripulantes de los veleros Friendship y Tiger Moth, reportados como no localizados desde el 23 de marzo tras zarpar de Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, con destino a Cuba para entregar ayuda… pic.twitter.com/3HJHgWAjCn
— La Jornada (@lajornadaonline) March 28, 2026
The arrival concludes seven days of sailing. The two sailboats had been reported missing on March 23, triggering an intense search operation by the Mexican and Cuban navies, with constant oversight from Presidents Claudia Sheinbaum and Miguel DĂaz-Canel.
Analysts and solidarity activists raised concerns over the loss of communication with the vessels, given that the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) has been carrying out extrajudicial killings in the region since September 2025. These operations have resulted in the deaths of at least 158 people without any form of legal accountability. The most recent of these extrajudicial killings was reported on March 25.
Since the two small boats have no motors and are powered solely by wind, calculating an exact arrival date in the Cuban capital proved difficult. Hoowever, a source from the Nuestra América convoy organizers noted during search operations that the craft were being handled by experienced sailors.
On Saturday morning, the Mexican Navy (SEMAR) reported that a Persuader aircraft had located Friendship and Tiger Moth 80 nautical miles (148 km) northwest of Havana. Following the contact, a SEMAR ship provided support to the boats, and personnel performed medical checks on all occupants, confirming that they were in good health.
Activists from Nuestra América Convoy to Cuba Detained in US & Panama
US extrajudicial killings on high seas
With the 46th lethal “kinetic strike” by SOUTHCOM on March 25, which claimed four lives, the cumulative death toll of the US Operation Southern Spear has reached at least 158 victims.
This latest maritime bombing reaffirms a pattern of extreme lethality: out of 46 recorded strikes on small boats, only three survivors have been officially recovered since the inception of the campaign in early September 2025.
While US SOUTHCOM frames these actions as “applying total systemic friction,” legal analysts and activists continue to condemn the lack of transparency, the absence of due process, and the potential targeting of civilian fishing vessels.
These extrajudicial killings are being considered as a naval extension of the same US military aggression that resulted in the January 3 bombing of Caracas and other Venezuelan states and the subsequent kidnapping of the Venezuelan presidential couple.
(Telesur) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SC
