Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer statue debuts gripping tribute to COVID-19-stricken countries

Christ the Redeemer in Brazil has lit up in honor of the countries struggling with the COVID-19 outbreak on Wednesday night.

Officials closed the tourist attraction earlier this week in order to stop the mass gathering of people.

What are the details?

The statue in Rio de Janeiro, which stands about 118 feet tall, was lit up with world flags of the countries across the globe that have been impacted by COVID-19.

About 2 million visitors see the Christ the Redeemer statue each year.

At least 529 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Brazil at the time of this writing. At least four people have lost their lives because of the deadly disease there.

According to Encyclopedia Brittanica:

In the 1850s the Vincentian priest Pedro Maria Boss suggested placing a Christian monument on Mount Corcovado to honor Isabel, princess regent of Brazil and the daughter of Emperor Pedro II, although the project was never approved. In 1921 the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro proposed that a statue of Christ be built on the 2,310-foot ... summit, which, because of its commanding height, would make it visible from anywhere in Rio. Citizens petitioned Pres. Epitácio Pessoa to allow the construction of the statue on Mount Corcovado.

Brazil's Chico Mendes Institute ordered the closure of all national parks it oversees on Tuesday, to include the national park that holds the Christ the Redeemer statue.

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