In a formal recognition ceremony hosted by the Dominican Republic, head of state President Luis Abinader has conferred one of the nation’s highest honors, the Grand Cross Silver Plaque grade of the Heraldic Order of Christopher Columbus, on distinguished Spanish historian Carmen Iglesias Cano, Countess of Gisbert and current director of Spain’s Royal Academy of History. The prestigious decoration is granted to honor Iglesias’ decades-long distinguished academic trajectory, unwavering commitment to methodological scientific rigor in historical research, and landmark contributions to advancing global scholarship on European and Latin American political ideologies, institutional evolution, and cross-border social transformation processes. Delivering remarks during the award presentation, Miguel Reyes Sánchez, president of the Dominican Academy of History, underscored that Iglesias’ prolific body of work includes over 200 peer-reviewed publications spanning centuries of shared Ibero-American history. Reyes also highlighted her prior leadership tenure at Spain’s Center for Political and Constitutional Studies, as well as her longstanding advisory role on the Spanish Council of State, as testaments to her unparalleled expertise and public impact. Reyes further emphasized that Iglesias’ research has served as an irreplaceable foundational resource for unpacking the intertwined, centuries-shared historical ties between the Dominican Republic and Spain, noting that her career exemplifies the core values of rigorous evidence-gathering, intellectual independence, and constructive cross-perspective dialogue that all responsible historical scholarship must uphold. Upon receiving the honor, Iglesias extended sincere gratitude to President Abinader and the entire Dominican Academy of History, recalling her 20 years of active participation in the Forum of America and her extensive field research travels across every region of Latin America that shaped her commitment to centering interconnected Ibero-American narratives in her work. The award marks a notable milestone in ongoing cultural and academic collaboration between the Dominican Republic and Spanish intellectual institutions.
Abinader awards top Dominican honor to Spanish historian Carmen Iglesias
