With the deadline for the Democratic Memory Law (Grandchildren's Law) approaching on October 22, Spanish consulates in Latin America are working hard to expedite the nationality application process. This regulation, approved in 2022 and popularly known as grandchildren law, grants the possibility of obtaining Spanish nationality to children and grandchildren of those who had to go into exile for political, ideological or economic reasons during the Civil War and the Franco regime.
Given the high demand for applications from Latin American countries such as Argentina, Venezuela, and Cuba, the Spanish government has implemented extraordinary measures to expedite consular processing.
In the Cuban case, one of the main strategies, according to a press report, was the establishment of mobile offices that would bring consular services closer to the provinces and facilitate services for applicants living far from Havana.
These offices would have offered assistance with submitting documents, verifying files, and scheduling interviews—essential steps for obtaining Spanish nationality. But this was not the case.
However, logistical conditions in Cuba represented a significant challenge. Limited mobility and the need for specialized equipment made it difficult for these offices to operate consistently and for more people interested in these procedures to access them from their places of residence.
Even so, the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said which remains committed to strengthening staff and improving consular infrastructure to ensure that Cuban citizens eligible for nationality can complete their procedures before the deadline.
The impact of the Democratic Memory Law has been notable throughout Latin America, where millions of descendants of Spaniards see in this legislation a historic opportunity to recuperar the nationality of their ancestors.
In Cuba, mobile offices may have been a practical and necessary alternative to bring the Spanish administration closer to citizens and ensure that no one was left out due to distance or lack of access to consulates, but the reality was different for Cubans.
Hello, I want to know how to do my paperwork. I am the granddaughter of a Spaniard. Where do I have to go? I am from Pinar del Río, but I am in Havana.
I ask the senior consular officials and the Spanish government, taking into account the situation in Cuba in particular, if they could extend the process for a few more months or a year to allow for this consular resolution. This is because the families in Cuba desperately need Spanish nationality to alleviate the current situation facing the Cuban people and allow them to come to Spain to work and achieve that much-desired freedom. Thank you.