No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeNewsCosta RicaWatch: Costa Rica and U.S. leaders honor first responders, victims of 9/11

Watch: Costa Rica and U.S. leaders honor first responders, victims of 9/11

The U.S. Embassy and Costa Rican authorities on Friday paid tribute to the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks with a wreath-laying ceremony at Costa Rica’s National Academy of Firefighters.

The event began with the playing of the U.S. and Costa Rican national anthems, followed by remarks from the Firefighter Corps and Marcos Mandojana, Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy.

“These horrible attacks on our liberty and democracy — and on all democracies — still resonate 20 years later,” Mandojana said. “They remind all of us that we must remain firm in our defense of our democracies.

“Though we can never erase the pain caused on September 11, we can honor the sacrifice of the fallen on that day and of those who have fallen in the name of liberty and security since then.”

In recognition of the 20 year anniversary of the attacks, the Firefighter Corps gifted the United States a commemorative firefighter’s helmet.

“Today, we commemorate the 343 firefighters who died, and who made the choice to stay in order to keep rescuing people,” said Juan Gabriel Pérez Salguera, president of the board of directors of Costa Rica’s firefighters.

Watch the entire ceremony below:

The National Academy of Firefighters houses the “Spirit Rising” (Espíritu Ascendente) monument, designed and constructed by artist Roland Hockett in honor of the first responders.

“Spirit Rising” was first unveiled on September 11, 2004 at September 11 Park in Sabana Norte. In 2014, it was moved to its current location at the Firefighters Academy in Desamparados.

Trending Now

Costa Rica’s Eyelash Viper Snake Is One of the Most Beautiful

There are at least 141 different species of snakes in Costa Rica. With that large number of species packed into such a tiny nation,...

Costa Rica and Panama Seek Gold Cup Glory Against North American Giants

With no Caribbean teams advancing, a Central American contingent made up of Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Guatemala heads into the quarterfinals of the...

Costa Rica’s Rare Birds at Risk as Human Activity Threatens Extinction

Costa Rica’s bare-necked umbrellabird, a striking black bird with a red throat pouch and crest, is in trouble. A new study in Nature Ecology...

El Salvador Slams Paris Fashion Show Inspired by Cecot Mega-Prison Inmates

The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, joked on Saturday that he could send inmates from his mega-prison to France, after they were represented...

Climate Change in Costa Rica Devastates Coffee Farms in Los Santos

In Costa Rica’s Los Santos region, famous for producing nearly half the country’s coffee, farmers are reeling from heavy losses driven by wild weather....

Costa Rica Surf Film Festival Honors ‘Pura Vida Bodysurfing’ with Top Audience Award

Pura Vida Bodysurfing is an award-winning short film that strips surfing back to its essence—riding waves without a surfboard. Filmed across Costa Rica’s legendary...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica