Puerto Progreso, Yucatan — A humanitarian aid ship departed Mexico for Cuba on Friday, carrying 30 tons of supplies as part of a civilian-led solidarity initiative, while two other vessels faced weather-related delays.
The ship left from Puerto Progreso, Yucatan, bound for Havana with an expected arrival on Monday. It transports food, medicine, hygiene products, and solar panels collected by civil society organizations.
Two sailboats scheduled to depart from Isla Mujeres in the Mexican Caribbean delayed their voyage due to unfavorable weather conditions. Maritime coordinator Adnaan Stumo explained that strong winds and intermittent rain in the Yucatan Peninsula forced the postponement.
“We have a small problem with the winds. We need to arrive as soon as possible because many people are waiting for us there, but we’ll have to face some bad weather,” Stumo said.
The mission aims to deliver humanitarian assistance amid Cuba’s economic deterioration and the U.S. embargo. Organizers initially planned for three vessels to participate, but only the Puerto Progreso ship departed, already one day behind its originally scheduled March 19 launch.
In Isla Mujeres, approximately 30 people—including foreign residents, local residents, and volunteers from Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Puerto Morelos—participated in collecting and transferring supplies to the sailboats. These vessels hope to depart early Saturday if conditions improve.
Volunteer Karen Campos Rodriguez described the recently intensified U.S. blockade as keeping the Cuban population in a “suffocating” situation.
According to captains, changing wind direction in recent hours forced another delay, as the vessels would face unfavorable sailing conditions. Organizers estimate the sailboats will carry a smaller portion of the total aid—about three to four tons, or 10%—while the bulk was shipped on the Puerto Progreso vessel.
The collected aid comes from a network of social organizations and international collectives that have promoted similar initiatives in other contexts. The effort has international organizational support and joins other recent support efforts for Cuba from Mexico, amid renewed tensions between Washington and Havana.
The Nuestra America convoy draws inspiration from the Global Sumud Flotilla, which traveled to the Gaza Strip in 2025 to deliver humanitarian assistance.
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