Pope Leo heads to Milei's Argentina as tensions loom over austerity, Iran
The pope’s first Argentina stop is expected to test ties with a president whose austerity program has drawn sharp criticism from the Catholic Church.
- On Sunday, Pope Leo XIV arrived in Argentina following his Uruguay tour, where President Milei is scheduled to greet him at the airport for a traditional welcome ceremony.
- Since taking office in December 2023, Milei implemented sweeping austerity measures, including a 48 percent health care budget slash that intensified friction with church leaders criticizing his economic orthodoxy.
- Security officials reported a Saturday arrest regarding death threats against Leo, while posters reading "At last, a Lion who unites" appeared across Buenos Aires playing on the president's imagery.
- Karina Milei, the president's sister and secretary general of the presidency, insisted the trip is "purely religious," while theology professor David Lantigua anticipates tensions mirroring those faced by Pope Francis.
- Official data indicates poverty reached 32.3 percent of Argentina's population in early 2026, affecting about 15 million people amid deep polarization surrounding the pope's visit.
246 Articles
246 Articles
The pope will be in Argentina until Wednesday, home of his predecessor, Francisco, who could not see his desire to travel during his pontificate fulfilled.
Leon XIV arrived this Sunday in Argentina, on a visit that aims to settle debts: that of Francis, who in 12 years of Pontificate did not step on his country, and that of the Church in...
Pope Leo XIV arrives in Argentina on Sunday, beginning the second leg of his trip to South America.
The leader of the 1.4 billion Catholics in the world is expected to speak out in defense of the poor and the most vulnerable, amid the tensions that exist in Argentina due to the high social cost that Milei's "motosierra" has had in
"They taught their children to pray and today those children no longer pray. They went to Mass together and they have not entered a church for years," he said. But he urged them not to despair.
RIO DE JANEIRO. Francis never returned to his homeland as pope. Today, his successor Leo XIV lands in Buenos Aires instead. Argentina's ultra-liberal president Javier Milei is worried about the visit. The Catholic Church is among the most vocal opponents of his austerity policies.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 39% of the sources lean Right
![[your]NEWS](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgroundnews.b-cdn.net%2Finterests%2Ffb6dc495f74049f513563c33352175eaa0ecd509.jpg%3Fwidth%3D60&w=128&q=75)
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
