The collapse of the Spanish Consulate in Havana has reached a critical point.
This was reported by immigration lawyer Vicente Marín, one of the most well-known legal experts in Spain on nationality matters, who stated that thousands of descendants of Spaniards in Cuba are stuck in a process that is not progressing and could take more than a decade if urgent measures are not taken.
Marín, who runs a law firm in Granada and serves immigrants from all over Spain, shared a video on Facebook in which he sharply criticizes the management of the process resulting from the Law of Democratic Memory (LMD).
Since the introduction of this regulation in October 2022, hundreds of thousands of Cubans of Spanish descent have applied for citizenship, but the majority are facing an overwhelmed system.
"How long are we going to have to wait? The Consulate of Spain in Havana is completely overwhelmed," Marín states. "Thousands of Spanish descendants are stuck in a process that we don't quite know when it will end."
According to the lawyer, what began as a historic opportunity has turned into a constant source of frustration.
"Many descendants of Spaniards have been very excited about the possibility of becoming Spanish. But that excitement has turned into frustration," he noted.
Marín explained that the Consulate of Havana is one of the most requested worldwide, with figures exceeding hundreds of thousands.
However, the problem begins even before one can request an appointment: "We are talking about thousands of people who have been waiting for months, some for years, just to receive the username and password to access the appointment request procedure."
And even those who manage to enter the system do not progress quickly.
"In the best-case scenario, there are people who have been able to receive their credentials but still have to wait for the right moment to apply. Alongside all those individuals who have been able to apply and whose experiences are absolutely stalled, pending resolution," he said.
The lawyer poses a question that encapsulates the plight of thousands of families: "How long is this going to last? Are we talking months, years, or decades?"
According to the explanation provided, experts and associations are already warning that if resources are not strengthened, the processes could take more than ten years to complete.
"Administrative procedures lasting 10 years? That's right. If proper measures are not taken, we would be facing an unacceptable situation," he stated.
Marín recalled that he had already warned in 2022 that the system would not work.
"This procedure is not going to work. It has been proven that it doesn't function. And this happened with the Historical Memory Law. It is repeating itself. The credentialing system, appointment scheduling, and the ability for consulates to carry out these procedures in a reasonable time frame do not work," he questioned.
For the lawyer, the root of the problem is clear: a lack of personnel and political will.
"A considerable increase in personnel is needed. There is a need for the willingness to ensure that those consulates have the necessary resources to handle that extraordinary volume of applications," he emphasized.
"That solution should have arrived in 2022, before implementing the regulation. If it didn't arrive, at least now let's not make the wait more distressing," he said.
Marín was particularly emphatic in defending the rights of the applicants.
"The grandparents, the parents of these descendants, were just like me, of Spanish origin. These individuals have the right to have their Spanish nationality recognized, and they also have the right to have this process carried out within reasonable time frames."
And he concluded with a direct call: "They are Spaniards by full right and we must recognize this with an effective procedure. It is time to demand dignity and efficiency. Justice for the Spanish descendants who are abroad."
Since the enactment of the Democratic Memory Law, known as the "Grandchildren's Law," the Spanish consular system has been overwhelmed.
In just two years, 2.3 million people worldwide have taken advantage of this regulation to regain their nationality. More than one million applications are still being processed.
Cuba is one of the most affected countries. The Spanish Consulate in Havana has accumulated around 350,000 applications, making it the second highest in terms of files, only behind Buenos Aires.
To cope with that avalanche, Spain had to sign a contract with the Palco Business Group, a state-owned company of the Cuban regime, worth 1,131,295 euros.
The agreement, which is valid for four years, requires the consulate to hire staff exclusively through this entity.
Palco provides 87 workers who perform intensive shifts, yet they earn only between 3,630 and 3,706 Cuban pesos per month, which amounts to less than 10 dollars, while the state-owned company receives over 200 euros for each employee.
Despite this reinforcement, complaints have not ceased. Applicants report a lack of transparency, delays, technical failures, and a lack of communication.
In October 2025, the deadline to apply under the law expired. Only those who obtained the Secure Verification Code (CSV) are guaranteed the right to an appointment. Thousands of people claim they never received that code, despite having applied for credentials in a timely manner.
In December, the Spanish Government approved the opening of a second consulate in Camagüey, although no opening date was specified.
It was also announced an increase in weekly appointments, allowing 167 more people to submit their applications each week.
However, for Vicente Marín, these measures are insufficient in the face of a structural problem that continues to leave thousands of Spanish descendants in Cuba trapped in an uncertain wait.
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