Mercedes de la Rosa, a 73-year-old Cuban resident in Palm Bay, Florida, had her hopes of returning to Cuba after over twenty years dashed in a frustrating ordeal.
She paid nearly $300 to process her Cuban passport through an agency in southern Florida, only to be left empty-handed after more than a year of waiting.
"They assured me the passport would be ready in six months to a year," the elderly woman recounted. She had engaged the agency's services in July 2024, eager to reconnect with her birthplace.
Mercedes paid $292 for the service.
Hoping to avoid bureaucratic hurdles and expedite the process, she turned to an agency. For the first six months, she waited patiently. But as the initial timeframe passed, she began calling for updates. A whole year elapsed.
"It was always the same: 'It's processing.' There was never a clear answer," she explained.
Questions About Her Citizenship
Amid the prolonged wait, Mercedes received an unexpected explanation. She was told there were issues with her Cuban nationality.
"They told me I wasn't appearing as Cuban. So I asked, 'Can I go to Cuba with my American passport?' And they said no. So, what nationality am I?" she questioned, visibly perplexed by the response.
In September 2024, according to her account, the company informed her that the passport had been approved and would arrive in about a month. She waited two additional months, but the document never came.
Demanding Her Money Back
After more than a year without concrete results, Mercedes decided to cancel the process and demand a refund.
"I just said: give me my money back. I'm not going to make the passport after a year and some," she stated.
Initially, she was offered a partial refund of around $150, which she rejected as unfair.
With no resolution in sight, she filed a complaint with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), which oversees, among other things, business practices in the state.
The agency responded to authorities, claiming the delay was due to her submission of a very old birth certificate. Mercedes disputes this as the issue.
"Here's my certificate. I'm 73 years old, of course, it's a bit old, but it can be read and has the agency's stamp that received it," she asserted.
Investigation and Refund
The case was taken up by the investigative segment "Responde" on Telemundo 31, which reached out to the company via email.
In their response, the company noted that procedures involving birth certificates typically take about a year, that positive identification of the client was made in September 2025, and that the passport was in the issuance stage.
Additionally, they expressed willingness to refund the entire service fee and return the passport to Cuban authorities for cancellation.
Ultimately, following the media's involvement, Mercedes confirmed she received a full refund of $292.
"They gave me the money when Telemundo got involved," she stated.
Although she did not secure the passport to return to Cuba, Mercedes feels relieved to have gotten her money back. She now plans to seek another agency that offers clearer communication and assurances regarding processing times.
This incident highlights the challenges many Cubans abroad face when dealing with document processing through island authorities, often lengthy, expensive, and opaque processes.
Understanding the Challenges of Obtaining Cuban Documents Abroad
Why did Mercedes de la Rosa not receive her Cuban passport?
Mercedes was informed there were issues with her Cuban nationality, and despite assurances of the passport's approval, it never arrived.
What steps did Mercedes take to get her money back?
Mercedes filed a complaint with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and sought media intervention, which led to a full refund.
What was the agency's explanation for the delay?
The agency claimed the delay was due to the submission of an old birth certificate and that such processes generally take about a year.