Pedro Santana

Pedro Santana
Colour portrait of Pedro Santana
President of the Dominican Republic
In office 14 November 1844 – 4 August 1848
Vice President	None
Preceded by	Francisco del Rosario Sánchez
Succeeded by	Council of Secretaries of State
In office 30 May 1849 – 23 September 1849
Preceded by	Manuel Jimenes
Succeeded by	Buenaventura Báez
In office 15 February 1853 – 26 May 1856
Vice President	Felipe Benicio Alfau Bustamante (1853) Manuel de Regla Mota (1853–1856)
Preceded by	Buenaventura Báez
Succeeded by	Manuel de Regla Mota
In office 31 August 1858 – 18 March 1861
Vice President	Benigno Filomeno de Rojas (1858–1861)
Preceded by	José Desiderio Valverde
Succeeded by	Annexation to Spain
Governor-General of Santo Domingo
In office 18 March 1861 – 20 July 1862
Preceded by	Himself as President
Succeeded by	Felipe Ribero
Personal details
Born	(1801-06-29)June 29, 1801 Hincha, Santo Domingo (now Hinche, Haiti)
Died	June 14, 1864(1864-06-14) (aged 62) Santo Domingo, Santo Domingo
Nationality	Dominican, Spanish
Spouse(s)	Micaela Antonia del Rivero Ana Zorrilla
Relations	Octavio Antonio Beras Rojas (great-great-grandnephew)
Residence(s)	Hato de El Prado, El Seibo Province
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Dominican Republic  Spain
Branch/service	Haitian Army  Dominican Army  Spanish Army
Years of service	1843–1864
Rank	General
Battles/wars	Dominican War of Independence Cibaeño Revolution Dominican Restoration War

Pedro Santana y Familias, 1st Marquess of Las Carreras (29 June 1801 – 14 June 1864) was a military commander and royalist politician who served as the president of the junta that had established the First Dominican Republic, a precursor to the position of the President of the Dominican Republic, and as the first President of the republic in the modern line of succession. A traditional royalist who was fond of the Monarchy of Spain and the Spanish Empire, he ruled as a governor-general, but effectively as an authoritarian dictator.^[1][2] During his life he enjoyed the title of "Libertador de la Patria." Aside from Juan Sánchez Ramírez, he was the only other Dominican head of state to serve as a governor to Santo Domingo.

Santana was a lifelong supporter of the Dominican revolt against the Haitian occupation and a noted general during the Dominican War of Independence (1844–1856). Unlike many of his political opponents who wanted to ultimately establish an independent Dominican state, Santana sought to reintegrate Hispaniola into the Spanish Empire. He oversaw the reestablishment of the Captaincy General of Santo Domingo as well as exile and imprisonment of a number of noted separatist and nationalist dissidents who had previously been his comrades during the war of independence. Under mounting pressure from the opposition which had been organizing a coup d'etat, he was forced to resign from his position. He died during the Dominican Restoration War, after which the country regained its independence.