The Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, has held a massive meeting with the Spanish community in Buenos Aires (Argentina), where he reminded the sons, daughters, grandchildren and granddaughters of exiles from the War and the dictatorship that they have until October 22 to submit applications for Spanish nationalization, under the Democratic Memory Act.

Torres has pointed out that “Spain has a debt that lasts too long with those heroes and heroines who defended democracy to the last breath. Some, sacrificing their life or their freedom; others, with exile.” The minister added that “the Government of Spain is aware that the Spanish diaspora of 1939 brought the flowering of a population of Spanish citizens outside our borders that we had to recognize”.

Therefore, the Democratic Memory Law of 2022 was approved, “whose great objective is to repair and recognize the people who were victims of war and dictatorship, includes, as you know, the possibility that those born outside Spain, of a father or mother, grandfather or grandmother, originally Spanish, could claim the nationality of our country,” he said.

“Since the approval of the Law, and with official data as of July 31, about 900,000 people have come to our consulates to make the request, being the one from Buenos Aires the one that has registered the most requests, with about 370,000; 40% of the total. Of these, 174,277 people have already consolidated their right to nationality,” he added.

For Torres, who has been accompanied by the Secretary of State for Democratic Memory, Fernando Martínez; the Secretary of State for Territorial Policy, Arcadi Spain; and the Ambassador of Spain in Argentina, Joaquín de Arístegui; it is a fact that the Government of Spain has had “special sensitivity” with the recognition of the Spanish emigrants.

“This is the fifth time we have opened a window, that is, an exceptional period, to qualify for citizenship,” he added. “The last one, on July 9, 2024, when we extended by one year, until October 22, the period for descendants of exiles to be able to avail themselves of the Democratic Memory Act.”

The minister has also assured that “all applications” for citizenship “will be met” and their files will be processed.