The frequent power outages in Cienfuegos have forced the Civil Registry to rewrite documents by hand, which, along with the pre-legalization procedures, is causing delays in obtaining certifications.
This directly affects the large number of people who visit daily to request the necessary documents for emigration or to process Spanish citizenship, amid a growing migration pressure in Cuba.
According to the local channel Perlavisión, the lack of electricity hinders the normal operation of the digital civil registry system.
For this reason, the use of physical models, which are still in effect, has been resumed to issue certificates of birth, marriage, and death.
However, without a QR code, these documents must undergo an additional pre-legalization process at the Provincial Directorate of Justice, where it is certified that the content of the handwritten forms is accurate.
This new requirement, which was not previously necessary in digital documents, adds more bureaucratic delays to the already congested system and contributes to the stress of those who urgently need these papers to initiate legal processes abroad.
Despite the adverse conditions, authorities assure that the Civil Registry staff is working continuously and that the documents in hand are valid outside of Cuba.
However, the combination of power outages, manual procedures, and additional paperwork is creating bottlenecks in one of the most in-demand services in the province.
A similar situation occurs in the province of Las Tunas, as recognized by the official media Periódico 26, which reported disruptions in the operations of the local Civil Registry due to power outages and connectivity issues.
In the main municipality, the lack of electrical synchronization between justice agencies hampers the timely delivery of documents.
Daylenis de la Caridad Romero Sánchez, the chief registrar in the area, explained that the entity continues to provide essential services such as birth, marriage, and death certificates, declarations of intention, paternity recognition, and procedures related to the mobile platform Bienestar.
However, he acknowledged that, in the event of technological failures, they must turn to printed or handwritten models when the data is not available in the system.
"We have printed models that are issued when the certification is not in the system, but sometimes we are unable to contact other registries in Cuba, and we have to do it by hand," stated Romero Sánchez, who also noted that the staff has had to extend their hours to meet the demand.
Although these handwritten certifications are accepted by embassies, if legalization is required, they can only be processed within the province where they were issued, the specialist emphasized, introducing a new element that exacerbates bureaucracy.
The mandatory use of handwritten documents due to power outages, along with the disconnection between systems and offices, further prolongs waiting times in an already overloaded network.
The situation in Las Tunas reflects a national issue that directly affects thousands of Cubans who need documentation to emigrate, carry out procedures abroad, or regularize their legal status amidst the current crisis.
The Civil Registry offices in Cuba are experiencing a systemic crisis that spans several provinces, reflecting institutional decay and operational precariousness that directly impacts thousands of citizens.
In Santiago de Cuba, the system has practically collapsed, limiting its service to just five appointments a day and forcing those seeking certification to wait in line from early morning or to pay informal services to secure a spot.
A similar reality is experienced in Matanzas, where appointments at the Civil Registry have been sold for as much as 700 Cuban pesos, highlighting a bureaucracy that is both overwhelmed and susceptible to corrupt practices.
The lack of capacity to meet the high demand has created a black market for appointments that takes advantage of the desperation of those who need documentation for urgent immigration or legal procedures.
In Havana, the problems are significant. A citizen reported the disappearance of several death certificates that were submitted to the Civil Registry for legalization, without receiving any response or solution from the authorities.
Another paradigm case occurred when a citizen in Havana had been waiting for more than three months for a birth certificate requested at the Civil Registry, without the office providing any clear solution.
Impact of blackouts on the Civil Registry of Cienfuegos
Why does the Civil Registry of Cienfuegos issue documents by hand?
The Civil Registry of Cienfuegos has had to revert to manual issuance of documents due to frequent power outages, which prevent the use of the digital system. This has resulted in increased waiting times for obtaining necessary certifications for important procedures such as emigration or the application for Spanish citizenship.
What is the process of pre-legalization of documents in Cuba?
The pre-legalization process in Cuba involves the certification of handwritten documents by the Provincial Directorate of Justice to verify their authenticity and content. This stage is necessary because documents issued by hand lack a QR code, which adds an additional step in the bureaucratic procedures.
What is the impact of power outages on Spanish citizenship applications from Cuba?
Blackouts severely affect Spanish citizenship processes by causing delays in the issuance of necessary documents for this process. The high demand for birth, marriage, and death certificates under the Grandchildren's Law is hindered by the collapse of the electricity system, increasing pressure on applicants and Civil Registry staff.
What measures are being taken to address the issues at the Civil Registry in Cienfuegos?
Despite the adverse conditions, authorities assure that the Civil Registry staff is working uninterruptedly. However, no concrete measures have been announced to improve the situation, such as the stable restoration of the power supply or the implementation of technological solutions to lessen the impact of blackouts.
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