Consulate of Spain in Cuba promises to process the majority of Historical Memory files in 2021

The Consul General of Spain in Havana, José Antonio Hernández Pérez-Solorzano, stated that they intend to process the majority of pending Historical Memory files in 2021.

“In relation to the nationality files, I hope that in the third quarter of this year we will have concluded with the file of the Historical Memory Law, which will have involved qualifying almost 200,000 files in the last 11 years,” declared the diplomat in an interview. granted to the portalChronicles of Emigration.

Pérez-Solorzano, who took office in August 2020, stated this Friday that his team has been working from the first moment to expedite the resolution of pending nationality files.

“The objective that we have set and that I am sure of achieving is to finish the qualification of these files in the third quarter of this year,” said the official. The fact that the files are qualified does not mean that they are resolved, but it implies substantial progress in the procedures for acquiring Spanish nationality.

“When we joined in August, almost 46,000 files were pending. Currently, there are 22,500 left, we have reduced our workload in this section by 50%,” said Pérez-Solorzano.

Taking into account that there are about 150 working days left in the year, the team at the Spanish consulate in Havana will have to process approximately 150 files per day, if it wants to comply with what is proposed.

“My commitment to the applicants is that in October of this year there will only be between 2 and 3% of files left to be resolved. They will be the most complicated cases or those in which the interested parties are still within the legal period to provide more documents that we have required of them,” the consul general advanced.

As he explained, this means that the files will have completed the first stage of their processing. It does not mean that by the end of the year the citizenships requested will be granted or denied (last stage of the process), since administrative appeals and other procedures could be pending in the convoluted process of acquiring nationality.

“In short, on that date, this file will have been concluded in its first stage. This will not imply a reduction in our volume of work, since we will have to respond to the appeals raised against the denials and proceed to register the descendants of the new Spaniards who have the right to nationality, documenting all of them with their passports. , register their marriages,” he added

Before acquiring nationality through the Historical Memory Law, the consul explained, the officials will first have to resolve the request favorably, which "will lead to numerous procedures in the other sections of this Consulate General," explained the diplomat who, in In his capacity as consul, he assumes notarial responsibilities on behalf of the Kingdom of Spain.

Spanish law already allowed people whose father or mother had originally been Spanish and born in Spain to opt for Spanish nationality. TheAct of Historical memory expands the possibility of acquiring Spanish nationality of origin to children of a Spanish father or mother of origin, even if they were not born in Spain.

Law 52/2007 on Historical Memory recognizes the injustice caused by the exile of many Spaniards during the Civil War and the Dictatorship. Consequently, it allows the acquisition by option of Spanish nationality of origin to people whose father or mother had originally been Spanish and to the grandchildren of those who lost or had to renounce Spanish nationality as a consequence of exile.

On the other hand, Pérez-SolorzanoIn the interview, he defended the exemption of Schengen visas for Cuban citizens who wish to travel to Spain and other member countries of the Treaty..

“I have no doubt that, if the [visa] exemption in relation to Cuba is raised in the Schengen visa forums, Spain will defend and promote it,” he assured.