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Brazil's Christ the Redeemer Lights up Against Human Trafficking

Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer lit up on Wednesday evening to bring awareness to human trafficking in Brazil.
Image: Man stands in front of statue of Christ the Redeemer as it is lit up in orange to commemorate the Day against Human Trafficking and Missing Persons, celebrated by the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro
A man stands in front of the statue of Christ the Redeemer as it is lit up in orange to commemorate the Day against Human Trafficking and Missing Persons, celebrated by the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro September 10, 2014. PILAR OLIVARES / Reuters

Rio de Janeiro's iconic Christ the Redeemer statue glowed orange on Wednesday evening. The lights were installed to call attention to the Day Against Human Trafficking and Missing Persons.

According to government statistics, every 45 minutes, 22 people disappear in Brazil,

Globo, a Brazilian news outlet, reported that families of those who lost loved ones to human trafficking gathered at the statue's feet to pray and watch the Christ turn orange.

The day also marked the launch of BIAmap, a new tool that relies on both police reports and crowd-sourcing to locate a missing person - a version of a Brazilian "amber alert."

-- Emmanuelle Saliba