Santana formed part of a high-profile team that included Juan Pablo Carrizo, German Lux, Diego Buonanotte, Marcelo Gallardo, Daniel Montenegro, Oscar Ahumada, Matias Abelairas, Luciano Figueroa, Gaston Fernandez, Gonzalo Higuaín, Colombian striker Radamel Falcao and future Paraguay national team colleague Julio Cesar Caceres.

[11] During a loan move to San Lorenzo in the 2008–09 Argentine Primera División season, he joined Paraguayan Aureliano Torres in the squad.

[13] Following the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Santana joined Turkish Super Lig team Kayserispor, partnering up with Marcelo Zalayeta, Franco Cangele, Ali Bilgin, Önder Turaci, Mehmet Boyraz and James Troisi in his first season at the club.

[14] Santa made 20 league appearances and scored four goals in his first season at the club, which saw Kayserispor finish in sixth position in the Super Lig table.

However, as Paraguay's coach Gerardo Martino had already made the three available substitutions, Santana had to stay on the field and play injured for the remaining time.

[19] Following his retirement from football in 2021, Santana and his wife modelled for a clothes store at Asunción shopping centre Paseo la Galeria.