Pope Leo XIV Travels to Argentina After Uruguay Visit

Uruguay Visit Concludes

Pope Leo XIV wrapped up his visit to Uruguay on Sunday by marking an important Catholic feast day tied to the country’s independence. He traveled to the city of Florida, north of Montevideo, to celebrate the feast of the Virgin of the Thirty-three before heading to Argentina for the second leg of his South American tour.

According to tradition, 33 independence patriots acquired the Guaraní statue and had it with them when independence was declared from the Brazilian empire in Florida on Aug. 25, 1825. Leo became the first pope in nearly four decades to visit Uruguay.

Tens of thousands of people packed Florida’s main square for the Mass under brilliant blue skies. The city has a population of about 40,000, but the Vatican estimated 50,000 were on hand. teleSUR English reported that the crowd more than doubled the city’s usual population of 60,000.

Arrival in Argentina

Pope Leo XIV arrived in Argentina on Sunday, landing at 16:34 local time at Jorge Newbery airport in Buenos Aires after coming from Uruguay. He was received by President Javier Milei and Karina Milei. A guard of honor greeted the pope as he descended from the Boeing 737 MAX 8, and the Argentine president exchanged a few words with him at the foot of the stairs.

Leo XIV offered a floral tribute to José de San Martín, then met Milei at the Casa Rosada, received the keys to the city of Buenos Aires, and participated in a meeting with civil society and the diplomatic corps at the Palacio Libertad.

Political Context

The visit is expected to be the most politically delicate stop of the tour, given the Catholic Church’s sharp criticisms of the austerity program of libertarian President Javier Milei. The Catholic Church has criticized Milei’s austerity measures that have slashed social spending, and his embrace of AI.

Milei has staked his presidency on cutting social spending to overhaul Argentina’s troubled economy and deliver a long-elusive budget surplus. He has called social justice “an aberration” that amounts to stealing, and mocked as “huge stupidity” the increasingly common complaint in Argentina that families squeezed by his austerity program can’t make it to the end of the month.

According to official data, poverty in Argentina reached 32.3% of the population during the first half of 2026, representing about 15 million people. Since taking office in December 2023, Milei has slashed Argentina’s healthcare budget by 48% in real terms.

Milei’s government insists the papal trip is purely religious. “The pope belongs to all Argentines. He doesn’t belong to a political party or a political camp,” Karina Milei, the president’s sister and secretary-general of the presidency, told reporters after a recent planning meeting for Leo’s visit with church leaders.

Why it matters

The meeting between Pope Leo XIV and President Javier Milei brings together two figures with sharply different views on economic policy and social spending. The pope’s visit to Argentina, the first by a pope since 1987, puts the country’s austerity program and its effects on the poor in front of a global audience as the pontiff continues his 12-day tour through Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.

Sources

• npr.org: After a successful trip to Uruguay, Pope Leo heads to Argentina : NPR
• newscord.org: Pope Leo XIV Arrives in Argentina, Meets President Javier Milei at Casa Rosada: 18 outlets compared | NewsCord
• nbcnews.com: Pope Leo heads to Milei’s Argentina as tensions loom over austerity, Iran
• abcnews.com: Pope wraps up Uruguay visit and heads to most fraught stop of his tour in Argentina - ABC News
• telesurenglish.net: Pope Leo XIV Uruguay Visit: 120,000 Fill Florida Plaza for Farewell - teleSUR English
• openthemagazine.com: Pope Leo XIV's Historic Visit to Argentina: Meeting Javier Milei and Advocating for Social Change

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.