A Cuban Mother's Heartfelt Plea for Her Missing Daughter Bound for Mexico

A Cuban mother, known on social media as Sol Chango, released a heartbreaking video on Facebook this Wednesday, urgently asking for assistance to locate her daughter, Naomi Álvarez Ramírez. Naomi is among the 19 individuals who vanished after departing from the Cuyo area in Pinar del Río on a boat bound for Mexico on August 11.

"Good morning, I am the mother of Naomi Álvarez Ramírez, one of the young women on that boat. There's been a lot of talk about the twins who left Cuba on August 11. I beg the Mexican authorities to do everything they can. I am a mother who is utterly desperate, desperate for my daughter," the woman pleads at the beginning of the recording.

Eight Days Without a Word

The last time Naomi's mother communicated with her was on that Tuesday, August 11, at 4:22 in the afternoon. Since then, there has been radio silence.

"It's been several days now. Today is Wednesday, and it's been eight days since I last heard from my daughter," she said, her voice breaking.

Her anxiety is exacerbated by the fact that her daughter's supplies were limited.

"I'm very worried because the food she took was only meant to last a few days. I hope those on board shared a bit, a little water for my daughter, because I don't want her to die of dehydration. I don't want that," she expressed fearfully.

A Direct Appeal to Mexico

Throughout the video, the distraught mother directly appeals to Mexican officials, criticizing them for their slow response.

"I see this search as very slow. They should look along the coasts, search everywhere. I plead with the Mexican government, I plead as a desperate mother. I'm dying, I'm dying of despair," she cries.

"I feel shattered, I feel collapsed. It's an agony, a nightmare I'm living," she added tearfully.

Children and Adults Adrift

Nineteen people are aboard: 12 adults and seven children, including the two-year-old twins Leosdel and Leosniel, and their mother Yusimy Garrobo Leiva, 35, from Vertientes, Camagüey.

The twins' father, Leobel, has been working in construction in Mexico for nearly a year, awaiting the chance to reunite with his family.

In an interview with journalist Mario Vallejo, Leobel revealed that the boat's motor had already been faulty before contact was lost and that the vessel ran out of fuel due to an accidental spill after more than half the journey was completed.

Leobel's words echo the desperation of Naomi's mother:

"I can't sleep or eat; all I consume is soda. I sleep with the phone beside me, always awake. No one can rest, knowing your children have nothing to eat."

Another relative, Yunaidy Martínez Ramírez, a Havana native living in Cancun whose husband and three young children are also missing, confirmed to Martí Noticias that the boatman attempted to continue sailing after the engine failure.

"The Navy keeps telling me the same: they are searching with no results. At first, they kept passing me around," she complained.

The Search Yields No Results

The Permanent Guard of the Fifth Naval Region of the Mexican Navy, based in Isla Mujeres, acknowledged being aware of the incident but admitted to not having located the boat.

This situation unfolds amid a severe migration crisis. Just days earlier, two young rafters, Leodannis Sánchez, 17, and Osmaikel, 19, perished in the waters of Sandino, Pinar del Río, when their boat capsized near Las Martinas on its way to Cancun.

As Mexican authorities continue their fruitless search for the vessel, Naomi's mother made one final appeal.

"Please, I ask the government of Mexico, the authorities of Mexico from the bottom of my heart to help me. I'm desperate," she concluded.