Citizenship in Cuba’s Reform to the Constitution

The present law of laws does not admit double citizenship, while the initiative that goes to popular debate from August 13 to November 15, proposes the principle of effective citizenship.

Article 32 of the present Constitution says: ‘Double citizenship will not be admitted. In consequence, when a foreign citizenship is acquired, Cuban citizenship will be lost(…)’.

For its part, the project approved on July 22 by the People’s Power National Assembly says: ‘Cuban citizens in national territory are governed by that condition, in the terms established by the law and cannot make use of a foreign citizenship’.

On that issue, director of Consular Affairs and Cuban Residents Abroad (Daccre) of the Foreign Ministry, Ernesto Soberon, explained in this capital to reporters that the effective citizenship is a principle of law and not a legal norm.

According to the official, in the island it was necessary to include this in the Constitution, in order for it to be reflected afterwards in the corresponding regulations.

The fundamental changes proposed respond to the fact that adoption of a new citizenship does not imply the loss of the Cuban one, and once in national territory, the Cuban citizen abides by it and can only make use of it, he detailed.

According to Soberon, as was proposed, the Cuban citizen who wants to travel abroad or from another country to the island, will have to do it with their Cuban passport.

After the people’s consultation summoned until November 15, the text will return to the National Assembly with the proposals, in order to elaborate the Magna Carta that will go to an approval referendum.