Rio de Janeiro climbers clean site of iconic Christ the Redeemer statue

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A Brazilian cleaning crew on Thursday was rappelling in the shadow of one of the world’s most famous sites: Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue.

Wearing harnesses and using ropes tied to the balustrade around the statue’s lookout platform, they worked to remove the accumulation of garbage dumped on the mountain slope beneath as tourists looked on.

Employed by the municipal waste management company, they are also certified mountain climbers often deployed to clean the city’s famous hillsides, including those settled by working-class communities.

They collect not just plastic bottles and other garbage, but also flammable materials that increase the risk of forest fires.

Their work is “important because it preserves nature, prevents fires, clears the litter that accumulates here, and reduces visual pollution, as we get a lot of tourists,” said Paulo Maurício, an engineer overseeing the clean-up around the Christ statue.

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