Work is due to start later this year on the construction of the world’s tallest statue of Jesus Christ in the northeastern Mexican state of Tamaulipas.
The Cristo de la Paz, or Christ of Peace, is being organised by a Mexican actor called Eduardo Verástegui Córdoba. When complete, it will stand 77m tall, almost twice as high as the present record holder, the Cristo de la Concordia, in Bolivia (pictured), which stands about 40m tall.
Verástegui, who is a native of Tamaulipas, said the purpose of the project was to decrease the level of violence in the state, following a gang war between the Zetas and the Cartel del Golfo. The statue will depict Christ’s arms outspread.
The work will be carried out by Fernando Romero, and will be sited on a plinth large enough to accommodate 10,000 people.
For more international stories visit the CIOB’s global construction website GCR
Developers hope the statue will attract pilgrims and tourists, and kickstart a range of commercial building projects, including leisure and hospitality, a conference centre and an amphitheatre.
Verástegui plans to travel to Rome to present his project to Pope Francis. As yet, no details have been released about how much the project will cost, or how it will be funded. However, the Catholic Church said construction should commence in the first half of 2019.
Image: Cristo de la Concordia in Cochabamba, Bolivia (Anakin/CC BY-SA 3.0)
Further reading:
