Roberto Cassá argues Pedro Santana should not be in the National Pantheon

Roberto Cassá, director of the General Archive of the Nation, has stated that the remains of Pedro Santana should not be located in the National Pantheon. Cassá described the decision to include Santana as an “unjust decision” made by former president Joaquín Balaguer, suggesting the move was influenced by their shared conservative political views.

Cassá argued that Santana was not a true patriot because he did not believe in the existence of the Republic. He noted that Santana sought a French protectorate in 1844 and eventually completed the annexation to Spain in 1861, which Cassá characterized as a betrayal of the nation. Furthermore, the historian labeled Santana a “political criminal,” citing his role in ordering the execution of Francisco del Rosario Sánchez and 21 other patriots.