Mexico says two aid boats bound for Cuba are missing

The two missing boats are part of a broader grassroots aid effort for energy-strapped Cuba, which has been suffering prolonged power outages and a deepening economic crisis after the US tightened an embargo on oil and other goods.

A separate vessel from the convoy arrived in Havana on Tuesday. Volunteers in Mexico last week loaded boats with rice, baby wipes, beans, baby formula, medicine and other supplies as part of the "Nuestra America Convoy," a non-government initiative seeking to deliver food, medicines and energy-related goods to the island.

"The captains and crews are experienced sailors, and both vessels are equipped with appropriate safety systems and signalling equipment," a spokesperson for the convoy said in a statement to Reuters.