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SOARING SYMBOL

A statue of Christ spreads an uplifting message in Baja California

Photos by David Maung; text by Zulema Flores

Six years ago, a Baja California man, Antonio Pequeño Guerrero, commissioned a monumental statue as a testament to his faith in Jesus Christ.

The first piece, the head, was constructed by workers in Tijuana, then moved to Rosarito, where three other parts were built. The head, chest and arms were made of steel; the lower body of fiberglass.

Four months ago, workers assembled the pieces and used a crane to hoist the figure onto a cupola carved out of a hill.

The figure of Christ is 75 1/2 feet tall and weighs 40 tons. It can be seen by those who live or visit south of Rosarito, near an old community called El Morro.

Previously, local fishermen placed flowers at a small cross at the mountain summit during a local holiday or during Easter Week. Today, the symbol of their faith reaches into the heavens for everyone to see.