The Spanish Senate will discuss a request for nationality applications under the Law of Democratic Memory to be submitted electronically from Cuba, an initiative led by Cuban lawyer Estela Marina Pérez Cabrera, president of the Association of Descendants of Spaniards Worldwide (ADEM).
The Petitions Committee confirmed the acceptance of the request, registered under number 870/000192/0001, and announced that it will be submitted for discussion at an upcoming meeting.
The proposal aims for the descendants of Spaniards to be able to submit their applications online to the Consulate General of Spain in Havana.
"It is very encouraging. It means that at least someone read it and considered it important," declared Pérez Cabrera after receiving the official notification signed by the president of the Petitions Commission, Ángel Luis González Muñoz, of the Popular Party.
The Commission can approve the request directly or refer it to the Justice Commission. As part of the procedure, the document will be sent to all political parties represented in the Senate.
Crisis in Cuba and obstacles for descendants of Spaniards
The application was submitted on February 6, the same day the Cuban regime announced the suspension of fuel sales in national currency and new restrictions that worsened the transportation crisis on the Island. This context has made it even more challenging for those with appointments at the Spanish Consulate to travel to Havana.
Many descendants living in the provinces must pay up to $500 to travel to the capital and submit their applications. "Almost all the messages I receive say, 'Estela, I can't make it; Estela, there’s no transportation,'" the lawyer recounted.
The possibility of submitting documents electronically, through accredited associations or professionals, would remove one of the main obstacles faced by applicants in Cuba.
On October 22, 2025, the deadline to apply for Spanish nationality under Law 20/2022, of October 19, on Democratic Memory (LMD) ended.
Thousands of Cubans were left out of the process due to the slow pace of the procedures and logistical limitations in Cuba, especially in the provinces.
The approval of this measure could alleviate the administrative burden and improve access to a right recognized by Spanish law.
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