Foreign Policy Blogs

Spain offers Cubans citizenship

The Law of Historic Memory, a law enacted by the Spanish government in December, will grant citizenship to the children and grandchildren of Spaniards who fled the country during the Spanish Civil War or were exiled during the years that General Francisco Franco’s regime ruled Spain.

The Spanish government estimates that one million individuals worldwide will claim citizenship. This includes around 210,000 Cubans—nearly 2% of the island’s population. Indeed, since the law passed, the Spanish consulate in Havana has been crowded with eligible Cubans hoping to take advantage of it. Read the full story here.

 

Author

Melissa Lockhart Fortner

Melissa Lockhart Fortner is Senior External Affairs Officer at the Pacific Council on International Policy in Los Angeles, having served previously as Senior Programs Officer for the Council. From 2007-2009, she held a research position at the University of Southern California (USC) School of International Relations, where she closely followed economic and political developments in Mexico and in Cuba, and analyzed broader Latin American trends. Her research considered the rise and relative successes of Latin American multinationals (multilatinas); economic, social and political changes in Central America since the civil wars in the region; and Wal-Mart’s role in Latin America, among other topics. Melissa is a graduate of Pomona College, and currently resides in Pasadena, California, with her husband, Jeff Fortner.

Follow her on Twitter @LockhartFortner.