The environmental organization Preserve Planet on Wednesday released a visual tribute to Costa Rican turtle conservationist Jairo Mora Sandoval, a 26-year-old killed on a Caribbean beach while guarding turtle nests.
The 90-second short features voice-over narration by Costa Rican poet and writer Jaime Mejía, and an official theme of the international campaign “The Power of One” by acclaimed Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer.
Photographs of Mora appear after images of environmental heroes such as Native American nature advocate Chief Seattle and Brazilian environmentalist and union leader Chico Mendes, who was assassinated by a rancher in 1988.
Two versions of the spot, in English and Spanish, can be seen online on Preserve Planet’s YouTube Channel and on its Facebook page.
Preserve Planet coordinator Luis Diego Marín lamented that, “It’s already been more than 50 days since Jairo’s death, and so far, police don’t have a lead on his murderers. It shows the lack of ability of judicial investigators.”
One of the messages of the campaign reads: “My man doesn’t need turtle eggs.” Never consume turtle eggs. Boycott bars and businesses that offer them. Courtesy of Preserve Planet
On a Facebook page, the group started a day-count called “El conteo de la vergüenza” (“The count of shame”) displaying the number of days gone by without an arrest in the case.
Marín added that his “only hope is that this heinous crime does not go unpunished, as did the murders of other [Costa Rican] environmentalists under suspicious circumstances.”
The statement also explains that Preserve Planet and the Marine Turtle Restoration Program (PRETOMA) soon will launch a media campaign to boycott the sale and consumption of turtle eggs throughout Costa Rica.
The group also posted a Facebook message asking people to denounce and send pictures of bars and other businesses selling turtle eggs.
“Thanks to the absurd tradition of consuming them [sea turtle eggs], a human being was killed,” Marín said. “If there is no consumption there will be no poachers looting turtle nests on our beaches,” he added.
Last month, international conservation group Sea Shepherd announced they would add a new vessel to their fleet named the “S.S. Jairo Mora Sandoval,” to honor the 26-year-old Tico. The news was confirmed by Sea Shepherd founder Capt. Paul Watson in a phone interview aired by local RainforestRadio.com.
Last week, RainforestRadio.com and LATalkRadio.com host Jani Schulz and Tico Times editor David Boddiger discussed the Mora case, as well as Schulz’ exclusive interview with Watson, and Costa Rica’s ongoing legal case against him. Listen to the broadcast here.
Watch the video:
