Mildred Guthrie, age 14, of Portland, Ore., for her question:
WHO PUT UP THE CHRIST OF THE ANDES?
Christ of the Andes is a bronze statue of Christ that stands on the Argentina Chile border in the Andes Mountains in South America.
It was put up by the people of both nations as a perpetual peace symbol. It was dedicated on March 13, 1904.
The statue stands on the summit of Uspallata Pass which is more than 12,000 feet above sea level. The figure of Christ is 26 feet tall.
Christ of the Andes was molded from the metal of old Argentine cannons and was the work of an Argentine sculptor named Mateo Alonzo. In the figure's left hand is a large cross while the right hand is raised in a blessing. The figure stands on a granite base.
An inscription, in Spanish, on the base tells the whole story: "Sooner shall these mountains crumble into dust than Argentines and Chileans break the peace sworn at the feet of Christ the Redeemer."