Pope on trip to Latin America: Leo lectures Keiko

dpa/afp/taz | Pope Leo XIV was enthusiastically received by several hundred thousand people when he returned to his second homeland of Peru. On the way from the airport to the center of the capital Lima, people stood close together along the streets for many kilometers. The Vatican, citing local authorities, put their number at up to three million. Before his election as pope, the American-born man spent two decades as a missionary and bishop in the South American country. He also has Peruvian citizenship.

The Pope set off on his longest foreign trip to date last Friday. Despite his cancer surgery in mid-October, he stuck to his plans to visit South America.

Leo XIV visited Uruguay from Friday to Sunday and then went to Argentina. There, more than two and a half million pilgrims cheered him at a mass in Buenos Aires. Peru is the last leg of his twelve-day trip to Latin America.

The Pope was received in Lima by President Keiko Fujimori. In a speech, the pontiff called for dialogue, honesty and integrity. He appealed to the political leadership of the South American country to face the painful chapters of the past with “justice and sensitivity”. He also addressed the deep divisions in Peruvian society.

Keiko Fujimori is the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, who ruled Peru with a hard hand from 1990 to 2000 and continues to shape his daughter's politics to this day. He was later convicted of human rights abuses and corruption. He died in Lima in September 2024. After her extremely narrow victory in the presidential election in June, 51-year-old Keiko Fujimori announced tough action against criminals and immigrants.

Leo XIV also addressed these issues. Peruvians should be able to live and work “without fear,” he said, citing concerns about rising crime and extortion in the South American country.

“Peace has a very concrete meaning for families: going to work without fear, taking care of their children and returning home with peace of mind,” he said. Violence by domestic and foreign gangs in Peru has increased sharply in recent years. Since 2018, the number of murders has increased from 1,000 to 2,600 last year, and the number of recorded extortions has increased from 3,200 to 26,500.

At the same time, the Pope called on the authorities to increase their efforts to prevent natural disasters and protect human lives. In his speech, he addressed the dangers that people in the Andean country are exposed to. Peru is severely affected by floods, landslides and other impacts of the El Niño climate phenomenon.

Several masses are on the agenda for the Pope's visit, including an open-air service near the coastal city of Chiclayo, where Leo formerly served as bishop. More than a million people are expected at the trade fair on Friday. An Angelus prayer is scheduled for Sunday in front of the cathedral in the city of Cusco, which is located at an altitude of around 3,400 meters in the Andes. The Pope will remain in Peru until Monday.