The Christ of the Andes, a symbol of eternal peace, is commonly believed to have been made from war cannons, though some historians regard this as doubtful.

The statue is located at the pass of La Cumbre, the highest point on the old road between Mendoza in Argentina and Santiago de Chile.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Pope Leo XIII wrote a series of papal encyclicals calling for peace, harmony, and devotion to Christ the Redeemer.

As the countries slipped closer to war, Ángela Oliveira Cézar de Costa, a well-connected society lady who led a Christian group at the school, had the idea of taking the statue to the Andes in the event of peace as a symbol of unity between the two nations.

The six-meter-high granite pedestal designed by Molina Civit was completed on 15 February 1904, and Alonso, the original sculptor, directed the piecing of the bronze statue.

It was erected with the figure facing the border line, standing on a globe with South America prominent, his left hand holding a cross and his right raised in blessing.

One is inscribed (in Spanish) "Sooner shall these mountain crags crumble to dust than Chile and Argentina shall break this peace which at the feet of Christ the Redeemer they have sworn to maintain.