Pope Leo XIV Arrives in Argentina for Tense Meeting with President Javier Milei
The visit marks the second phase of a South American tour, arriving as Argentina faces high poverty rates and a political clash over austerity measures.
By Ricardo Brooks ·
Pope Leo XIV has entered Argentina, where he is scheduled to meet President Javier Milei in a meeting expected to be politically fraught. The Argentine leader has faced sharp criticism from the Catholic Church regarding his austerity program, which has reduced social spending while pursuing a budget surplus.
Leo arrived after concluding his first leg in Uruguay, where he became the first pope to visit the country in nearly four decades. In the city of Florida, north of Montevideo, he celebrated the feast of the Virgin of the Thirty-three. The event marked the anniversary of Uruguay's independence from the Brazilian empire, a date that traces back to August 25, 1825.
During Mass, Leo addressed the secular nature of Uruguayan society while affirming the church's role in national identity. He specifically thanked mothers and grandmothers for their efforts to pass the faith to younger generations, acknowledging the pain of seeing those traditions fade. Tens of thousands gathered in Florida's main square for the service, with Vatican estimates placing the crowd at 50,000 people in a city with a population of approximately 40,000.
The tension in Argentina stems from Milei's economic strategy, which has included a 48% real-term cut to the healthcare budget since his inauguration in December 2023. Official data indicates that poverty reached 32.3% of the population in the first half of 2026, affecting roughly 15 million people. Milei has defended these cuts as necessary to overhaul the economy, while the church has highlighted the impact on the poor and vulnerable.
The political friction is evident in local media, where posters have appeared featuring a lion image to play on the Spanish word for Leo and the imagery Milei uses on social media. Luis Bahamondes, a professor at the University of Chile, noted that the visit occurs during a period of deep polarization and economic crisis. He observed that Milei has historically defied conventional protocol, including challenging Pope Francis in the past.
Leo's papacy continues the social teaching legacy of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who was an Argentine Jesuit. Francis never returned to his home country during his 12-year pontificate, a fact that generated significant discussion in Argentina. David Lantigua, a theology professor at the University of Notre Dame, stated that there is considerable disagreement over Francis' legacy, particularly regarding his advocacy for the marginalized during his time as a slum priest in Buenos Aires.
Before leaving for Argentina, Leo visited the city of Florida, where he praised the role of the church in the nation's founding. He warned that the history of peoples cannot be fully understood without reference to God. The pope also emphasized the need for international safeguards on artificial intelligence, a topic of debate in Argentina, where the government is courting AI investment with limited regulation.
Security for the visit has been tightened following reports of death threats. Argentina's state intelligence agency announced Saturday that a person was arrested over the threats. A federal court in Campana, located 70 kilometers northwest of Buenos Aires, ordered the arrest less than 24 hours after being notified. Karina Milei, the president's sister and secretary-general of the presidency, maintained that the visit is purely religious, stating that the pope belongs to all Argentines rather than any political camp.
