St. Thomas professor Santiago Mora was on sabbatical in Bogota, Colombia when he received a life-changing email.
The email said a New Brunswick court had ordered over 80 per cent of his salary to be given to his ex-wife, Claudia Rocha. The problem was Mora wasn’t in court at the time to defend himself.
“It’s like a bad dream. I’m in the age of the people that start thinking how am I going to retire and I’m sitting here in the street thinking that I’m gong to lose everything.”
The Aquinian was unable to reach Rocha before time of publication.
On Friday afternoon, Mora started his protested outside the Fredericton courthouse with a ‘convicted without a trial’ t-shirt on.
“A hunger strike is a specific way to put pressure to be listened to. That’s what I want. I want to be listened to by the court, by the authority. That’s my intention with this strike.”
Mora said he will stay outside and strike until someone from the court comes out and listens to him.
The anthropology professor arrived back in Fredericton on Tuesday after taking the first flight out from Bogota. The court decision was made over a month ago but he didn’t receive the email until recently because he was studying in the Amazon where email is limited.
At about 10 a.m. on Friday, Mora sent out an email announcing his situation and the hunger strike to STU faculty and to the Fredericton court. He is also posting it on Facebook and circulating a petition.
“There are good people at STU and I know they are going to show some solidarity. I have already received very nice emails from faculty and administration offering support and suggesting options.”
Mora thinks it is unfair the court made the decision when he wasn’t there.
“I wasn’t part of the decision. I think the problem is that the philosophy is that the law has to keep going, so, they made this decision because my wife said that she didn’t have money and they know that I have a salary so I have to pay. I think it’s kind of extreme.”
Mora’s biggest worry is where he will live during the cold Fredericton months.
“The money that I have to give to my wife and that I have to give to her lawyer, it doesn’t allow me to pay the mortgage.”
Mora plans to sell his house so the bank won’t take it and he might get some money out of it.
The STU professor is striking to get a chance for a fair trial.
“I don’t know anything about the law. The truth is that I’ve never been interested in law ever. I don’t have any clue but I know a lot about history. For instance in the time of the Romans, they allow the slaves to eat because if they don’t eat then they don’t work,” he said. “What they’re (the court) is doing is removing the possibility of shelter and food for me. So, how do you expect me to pay?”
“I think that this is a violation of human rights. If they remove all of my money and ask me to keep working – I don’t see the logic.”
