Published on Friday, September 11, 2026
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

The Costa Rica Fire Department (Benemérito Cuerpo de Bomberos) and the U.S. Embassy on Friday commemorated the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks with a ceremony at the Spirit-Raising Monument at the National Firefighters Academy in San José, honoring the victims of the attacks.

Among those attending were U.S. Ambassador Melinda Hildebrand; Timothy Callaghan, senior regional adviser at the U.S. Embassy; Héctor Chaves León, director of the Costa Rica Fire Department; and other officials.

Costa Rica has held an annual commemoration of the 9/11 attacks since 2002. The ceremony began with traditional bagpipe music, symbolizing deep respect, honor and remembrance for those who lost their lives in the attacks.

“This attack changed a nation and the entire world,” Director Chaves said. “On the day of the attacks, while thousands of people were fleeing the area, hundreds of brave firefighters remained behind, helping to save lives.”

Chaves emphasized that Sept. 11 became the final call to duty for the American firefighters who died in the attacks.  “Their example of selflessness, honor and discipline will continue. We will never forget them,” he noted.

Ambassador Hildebrand recalled that 25 years ago, people old enough to remember can still say exactly where they were when they learned about the 9/11 attacks, which became the deadliest terrorist attack in American history.

“Twenty-five years later, we honor the legacy of the 2,977 lives lost and remember the first responders who, with extraordinary courage, stepped forward to help,” she said.

Hildebrand added that the attacks of 9/11 changed the course of the U.S. and the world. "Today, we reaffirm our commitment to a world that is safer, more peaceful and more prosperous.”

The U.S. Embassy also thanked the Costa Rica Fire Department for serving as loyal guardians of the 9/11 Spirit-Raising Monument in San José and for being valuable friends to the U.S. Embassy.

“This monument stands as a tribute to the fallen firefighters and to the victims of this tragedy,” Hildebrand said.

The ceremony also included the presentation of a scale sculpture of the Twin Towers to the U.S. Embassy by the Costa Rica Fire Department.

The sculpture was created by Francisco Paniagua, who has been a member of the Fire Department for 15 years. It symbolizes the strength of the rescuers involved in rescue operations during the attacks and honors the courage, dedication, bravery and legacy of the firefighters who died on 9/11.

A total of 343 firefighters from the New York City Fire Department, or FDNY, died in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The ceremony concluded with representatives of the U.S. Embassy and the Costa Rica Fire Department placing floral tributes at the base of the Spirit-Raising Monument in San José.

The Sept. 11 attacks were a coordinated series of suicide attacks carried out by the Islamic terrorist organization al-Qaida against the United States in 2001.

Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners. The first two planes were flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. A third plane crashed into the Pentagon, the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense, in Arlington County, Virginia. The fourth plane crashed into a rural field in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to take control of the aircraft.

The attacks killed 2,977 people and injured thousands more. It remains the deadliest terrorist attack in American history and the deadliest incident for firefighters and law enforcement personnel, killing 343 firefighters and 72 law enforcement officers, respectively.

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