The Cuban Meysel Pereira discovered, on the very day she had a consular appointment scheduled, that her seven-year-old son Xavier had written in red ink the phrases "I LOVE YOU MOM" and his name on the visa pages of his Cuban passport.
The discovery, which the woman shared in a video on Facebook, immediately ruined the process for her and left her caught between laughter and tears.
"I have an appointment at the consulate, and today, while getting my passport, I came across this big surprise. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. What I do know, and what I'm very sure of, is that my son loves me," Meysel reported.
On the pages marked by the child, you can read on the left page, "I LOVE YOU MOM" with a heart, and on the right, "XAVIER R." next to a heart.
Meysel did not hide the practical impact of the gesture: "This child was the last thing the boat brought. So the consulate process is messed up," he said humorously in the video.
He also joked about the situation with a phrase that summarizes the mix of feelings: "I no longer need a date if I have the ambassador at home."
From a legal standpoint, the damage is real and irreversible. According to international regulations on travel documents, any passport that shows writing, alterations, or unauthorized annotations loses its validity immediately, regardless of whether the alteration was intentional or accidental.
This forces Meysel to request a new passport, a process that for Cubans abroad involves a cost of approximately 180 dollars, according to the rates in effect since 2022 and confirmed in January of this year by the Cuban government, which then denied rumors of a price increase.
This expense is compounded by the difficulty of obtaining a new consular appointment, a chronic issue for the Cuban diaspora, as demand far exceeds the capacity of the consulates, and wait times can extend for weeks or even months.
The context further exacerbates the situation. Since April 1, 2025, Cuba requires a valid passport for Cubans to enter the island, which has heightened the pressure on renewal processes abroad.
Despite everything, Meysel ended his post with a reflection that resonated with his followers: "Sometimes plans change, but there are details that remind you of what really matters. And the only thing I know for sure is that love always finds a way to make itself felt."
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