Pope Leo XIV arrived in Peru on Wednesday, November 11, for the final stop of his 12-day South American tour. The pope, who spent about two decades in the country as a missionary and bishop, met President Keiko Fujimori in Lima and urged Peru’s divided political camps to work together.

Leo landed at Callao air base near the capital before travelling into Lima. Reports gave sharply different estimates of the crowds who came out to greet him. Volksfreund said several hundred thousand people lined the route, while the Vatican, citing local authorities, put the number at up to three million. Hnonline.sk reported tens of thousands along several kilometres of the route; its account does not establish whether it counted the same area as the other estimates.

A call for dialogue

At the National Grand Theatre, where he addressed officials and civil-society representatives, Leo appealed to Peru’s political factions to overcome their divisions. He said dialogue and cooperation were the best way to solve many problems in the interests of the public.

The appeal comes as Peru continues to face political instability. Fujimori took office in late July and is the country’s ninth head of state in ten years, according to reports. Police figures cited in one report show murders rising from 1,000 in 2018 to 2,600 in 2025. Extortion complaints increased from 3,200 to 26,500 over the same period.

Leo’s personal connection to Peru is central to the visit. Born in the United States, he is also a Peruvian citizen and served as a missionary and bishop there before becoming pope. He is due to visit Chiclayo, where he served as bishop, as well as Cusco in the Andes and Pucallpa in the Amazon region.

Next stops across the country

A major Mass is planned in the Pimentel pampas near Chiclayo. The local diocese estimates that 1.5 million people will attend. The itinerary also includes meetings with representatives of Indigenous communities in Pucallpa, according to reports.

Peru is the last country on Leo’s tour, following earlier visits to Uruguay and Argentina. His meetings with Fujimori and his appeal for cooperation put the country’s political divisions at the centre of the opening day. The visit is scheduled to continue through Monday, with events taking the pope from Lima to the north, the Andes and the Amazon.