Pope Leo XIV arrived in Buenos Aires as the second leg of his 12-day tour of Latin America. This is the first papal visit to Argentina in nearly four decades, and the Pope immediately directed criticism at the austerity measures of Argentine President Javier Milei.
In a speech delivered in Buenos Aires, the Pope emphasised that the economy must be in service of people, particularly those who struggle daily for their households' basic needs. He specifically defended the rights of the poor and pensioners and called for special care for the sick, the dependent and people with disabilities. These messages were also directed against the controversial cuts made by Milei's government to disability assistance.
The Pope also highlighted the importance of personal integrity in public service and warned that corruption undermines citizens' trust in institutions. He added that strengthening democracy requires a willingness to listen and careful use of words, which is an implicit criticism of Milei's leadership style and his relationship with the media and the opposition.
Argentina is deeply divided between supporters and opponents of Milei, who came to power with a promise to revive the economy and reduce inflation by cutting social programmes. His austerity measures targeted public hospitals, universities and pensioners, and the poverty rate rose to 32.3 per cent in September. Although Milei has softened his tone since taking office, he continues to insult the media and the opposition, while his relationship with Pope Francis, who is also from Argentina, was tense due to Milei's criticism of the Pope's social stances.
Pope Leo XIV, who underwent surgery for lung cancer three weeks before the tour, said he is following in the footsteps of Pope Francis. During the visit, he plans to visit a home for people with disabilities, a prison, and hold three open-air masses, with around seven million people expected to attend the events. The local Catholic Church has criticised Milei for treating social services as purely a budgetary issue, while many Argentine citizens have called on the Pope to help reconcile the social divisions created after three years of austerity under Milei.
Before arriving in Argentina, the Pope had been in Uruguay, where he condemned violence linked to drugs and called for an end to child poverty. Among those gathered in Buenos Aires were citizens such as 68-year-old retired teacher Liliane Deblauwe, who waited for the Pope near the monument to José de San Martín, and 26-year-old jobseeker Brian Inacio Rodriguez, who travelled five days from Ushuaia to see him. Pope Leo XIV was also greeted with shouts of "Pope Leo" in front of the presidential palace, where he was hosted by Milei.
The visit aims to strengthen faith in Argentina, a country disappointed that Pope Francis did not visit his homeland during his pontificate. According to a survey by the University of Buenos Aires, the share of Catholics in the country has fallen to 57.7 per cent, from nearly 90 per cent in the 1960s, which further underscores the importance of the Pope's mission in the region.
