Related videos:
The Consulate General of Spain in Havana announced that it will continue to attend to scheduled appointments for all its services following the gradual restoration of the National Electric System (SEN) in Cuba.
Through a message published this Thursday on its official account on X, the diplomatic mission stated: “With the gradual restoration of the electrical system, the General Consulate of Spain will continue to attend to scheduled appointments in all its services. Any issues in the provision of consular services will be communicated promptly through this same channel.”
The statement comes after the electrical issues reported in the country in recent days, which raised concerns among those applying for procedures.
In fact, the consulate had previously warned that it would continue to assist users even if difficulties in the Cuban electrical system persisted.
On March 4, the institution stated: “Despite the outage of the SEN, the Consulate General of Spain will attend to the scheduled appointments for Thursday, March 5 in all its services. Any issues in providing consular services, if the SEN outage persists, will be communicated in a timely manner through this same channel.”
The electricity crisis also affects diplomatic services
The national electrical system began to be restored on Thursday morning, but blackouts continue to be frequent in much of the country due to the severe energy crisis that Cuba is experiencing.
The situation had already forced the Consulate General of Spain to take energy-saving measures weeks ago. In February, the diplomatic office announced that it would reduce its hours of operation and close from Monday to Thursday at 3:00 p.m., one hour earlier than usual.
The decision reflected how deeply the Cuban electricity crisis affects even foreign institutions in Havana, where thousands of citizens gather each week to carry out procedures related to Spanish nationality, visas, legalizations, and other key processes.
For many Cubans, these procedures represent the possibility of family reunification or legal emigration, so any interruption or delay causes concern among applicants.
The Senate of Spain could help alleviate the issues with appointments
Last week, the Cuban lawyer Estela Marina Pérez Cabrera, president of the Association of Descendants of Spaniards in the World (ADEM), announced that the Spanish Senate will debate a request for nationality applications under the Democratic Memory Law to be submitted electronically from Cuba.
Pérez Cabrera's proposal would allow documents for nationality procedures to be submitted online, eliminating the need to visit the Consulate General of Spain in Havana in person.
If approved, this option could significantly alleviate the situation for thousands of Cubans who are trying to complete their procedures but face long waits to secure a consular appointment, difficulties traveling to the capital, or logistical problems arising from the crisis in Cuba.
Allowing online submission would help streamline the process and expand access to the procedure for descendants of Spaniards throughout the country.
Filed under: