Rio’s Christ Statue Asking for Alms Amid Recession
- Rio’s archdiocese launched fundraising campaign for landmark
- City and nation are mired in recession with record joblessness
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It’s survived decades of wind, rain and lightning strikes, but now Brazil’s iconic Christ the Redeemer statue is suffering from the same elemental problem as the rest of the country: a lack of cash.
On Thursday the archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro launched the ‘Friends of the Christ the Redeemer’ fundraising campaign to preserve the landmark, which draws millions of tourists per year to the top of Corcovado mountain. The 13-story statue that looms over the city isn’t only a symbol of Rio, but of Brazil. Both are suffering with a deep recession that has drained government coffers.