Playa del Carmen Delivers 88 Birth Certificates to Residents Without Legal Identity

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Mayor Estefanía Mercado handed out 88 birth certificates to residents who had spent years without the document, part of a municipal program called “Tu identidad, sin tanto choro” (Your Identity, No Fuss) that aims to guarantee the right to an identity and make it easier to access paperwork and public services, especially for older adults.

“Today we are not only celebrating that a procedure is finished. We are celebrating that a barrier is behind them and that new possibilities lie ahead,” the mayor said during the ceremony, held in the Leona Vicario hall of the new municipal palace.

Mercado said every birth certificate represents a life story, a family and a personal history that deserves recognition.

“Not having a birth certificate does not mean you don’t have rights. It means facing obstacles, and as a government we have the responsibility to remove all those barriers,” she said.

She added that no one should have to wait so many years for an institutional response, and said her administration is promoting service mechanisms that bring public services closer to those who need them most.

“That is governing with sensitivity: not waiting for everyone to be able to walk the same path, but helping more people find a way out without so many difficulties,” she said.

Cynthia Paola, one of the beneficiaries, described her own experience and thanked municipal authorities for helping her obtain a birth certificate she had tried to secure for nearly 50 years.

“For almost 50 years I tried to get my birth certificate, and thanks to the support of the municipal government this dream has now come true. I have an identity,” she said.

Luis Armando Herrera Quiam, secretary general of the city council, thanked the beneficiaries for their participation and trust, and explained how the program works: the municipal government helps residents obtain legal identity, accompanies those who face difficulties in securing their documents, and works to remove the barriers that limit the exercise of their rights.

Eduardo Asencio Martínez, honorary president of the municipal DIF family services agency, and Luz Marinelly Carrillo Reyna, director of the Civil Registry, attended the event as witnesses, among other guests.