ENCANTADO – A giant new statue of Christ being constructed in southern Brazil will rise even higher than the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue that overlooks Rio de Janeiro.
A head and outstretched arms were added this week to the statue, which has been under construction since 2019 in the city of Encantado, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
Completion of the monument is scheduled for late this year, according to the Association of the Friends of Christ, which is coordinating the work.
“It is a day for celebration, for devotion,” said Gilson Conzatti, a local councillor and son of Adroaldo Conzatti, the politician who conceived the idea. 
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The statue, to be named Christ the Protector, will stand 43 meters tall, including its pedestal, making it one of the world’s tallest statues of Christ with outstretched arms. 
It will measure 36 metres from hand to hand and will have an interior elevator and an observation deck near the top. 
Christ the Redeemer, in comparison, measures 38 meters high, pedestal included, and spans 28 meters hand to hand. It will mark its 90th birthday this October.
Encantado, a city of 22,000, lies 145 kilometers northwest of the state capital Porto Alegre.
The project is intended both to inspire faith and encourage tourism to the area, its promoters say.