The ice bucket challenge to raise awareness and funds towards research and treatment of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) has reached the Presidential Office of Costa Rica. Challenged by a radio personality from 104.3 FM (Los 40 Principales or Top 40), President Luis Guillermo Solis respectfully declined, but one of his controversial supporters accepted the challenge and called out a Canadian sex symbol who also declined on elucidating grounds.

 

Social media has been a major driving force behind the ALS ice bucket challenge, which has raised over $30 million and has resonated among celebrities and public officials. The basic mechanism consists of a person challenged to dump a bucket of ice water over his or her own head while making a monetary donation to the ALS Association, which is based in the United States, and calling upon others to do the same.

 

In Costa Rica, the ice bucket challenge was accepted by on-air personalities at pop station 104.3 FM, who challenged President Solis. A spokesman for the Executive Branch explained that President Solis declined; however, taking a page from President Barack Obama’s recent nonacceptance, he called on all others to accept the challenge and raise awareness about ALS.

 

At the same time President Solis declined the challenge, the Canadian founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society was dumping a bucket of ice water over his head. According to the Daily Beast, while Paul Watson was still dripping wet, he challenged one of his strongest and most prominent supporters, fellow Canadian Pamela Anderson. It seemed like a shoo-in acceptance, until the blonde beauty poured a virtual ice bucket over the ALS ice bucket challenge. The Daily Beast quoted Anderson:

 

“[In] recent experiments funded by the ALS Association, mice had holes drilled into their skulls, were inflicted with crippling illnesses, and were forced to run on an inclined treadmill until they collapsed from exhaustion. Monkeys had chemicals injected into their brains and backs and were later killed and dissected.”

 

Paul Watson is known as a staunch animal rights activist and as an international fugitive who has evaded arrest by Costa Rican authorities over his alleged involvement in a reckless endangerment incident at sea in 2002. The Costa Rica Star extensively covered Mr. Watson’s successful flight from justice a couple of years ago.

 

Earlier this year, Mr. Watson, who is still listed by Interpol as being ordered to appear before prosecutors in Puntarenas, made an appeal to President Solis to make use of his executive powers to dismiss the charges. Mr. Watson claims that former President Laura Chinchilla “sold him out;” furthermore, Mr. Watson would like to offer Costa Rica the patrol services of Sea Shepherd in hotspots such as Isla del Coco and Moin, where marine species are threatened by poachers.