Leo Leaves Uruguay for a Tense Visit to Milei’s Argentina
Leo joined a celebration honoring Uruguay’s patroness in Florida, north of Montevideo, as he wrapped up the first leg of his South American tour. Thousands of pilgrims visit the city each year to pray before a small wooden image of Mary. Tradition links the statue to the 33 independence patriots who carried it when independence from Brazil was declared there in 1825. Leo’s visit was the first by a pope to Uruguay in nearly 40 years, and highlighted the Church’s place in a country that has become notably secular, at times anticlerical.
The 71-year-old pope was heading to Argentina, where Milei is scheduled to meet him at Buenos Aires airport before a welcome ceremony and speeches. Their encounter could be strained by the Church’s opposition to Milei’s spending reductions. Since taking office in December 2023, his government has cut the health budget by 48% in real terms. Proposed reductions for public universities prompted student demonstrations. Official figures put poverty at 32.3% in the first half of 2026, or about 15 million people.
Milei’s government has defended its cuts as necessary reforms to address economic problems and waste. He has also sought investment in artificial intelligence and large computing facilities, offering investors a light-touch regulatory approach. Leo, by contrast, has called for strict international safeguards, citing risks to people and the environment. The pope’s final tour stop will be Peru, where he spent two decades as a missionary priest. He continued the trip after surgery on October 13 to remove a cancerous lung tumor.
Leo’s Argentina Visit Puts Milei’s Cuts Under Moral Scrutiny
Leo’s arrival in Argentina brings the human consequences of Milei’s austerity into the spotlight. Church leaders have condemned the government for putting economic orthodoxy ahead of poor people’s needs, while official figures show poverty reached 32.3% in the first half of 2026—about 15 million people.
The government has cut health spending by 48% in real terms since Milei took office in December 2023. Planned reductions to public universities, a source of broad national pride, drove students into the streets. These are the stakes behind the pope’s scheduled meeting with Milei at Buenos Aires airport and their joint welcome ceremony. A government that calls its cuts necessary reform is still facing the Church’s challenge over who bears the cost.
Leo has also warned against the risks of an unrestrained artificial-intelligence race. Milei is courting AI and investment in computing facilities, while proposing a hands-off regulatory framework; the pope has urged strict safeguards enforced internationally. Leo’s visit follows his appearance in Uruguay, where he emphasized the Church’s historic place in a deeply secular society. He is continuing a three-country tour despite surgery on October 13 to remove a cancerous lung tumor; Peru, where he served as a missionary for two decades, is the final stop.
Leo’s Visit Tests Whether Argentina’s Reforms Can Withstand Church Pressure
Milei’s government has cast its spending reductions as necessary to repair Argentina’s troubled economy and curb waste. Yet Pope Leo XIV arrives with the Catholic Church sharply critical of the austerity program, setting up a high-profile test of whether economic reform can proceed amid pressure from Church leaders.
The pope is due to meet Milei at Buenos Aires airport before a welcome ceremony and speeches. The government’s cuts have strained its relationship with Argentine church leaders. Health spending has fallen 48% in real terms since Milei took office in December 2023, while plans to reduce public university spending brought students into the streets. Official figures show poverty stood at 32.3% during the first half of 2026, about 15 million people.
A second point of disagreement is artificial intelligence. Milei is seeking investment in AI and computing facilities, and has offered investors a lightly regulated environment, while Leo has called for stringent safeguards overseen internationally, warning of risks to humanity and the environment. The pope’s arrival follows a visit to Uruguay centered on the Catholic Church’s role in the country’s identity. His South American tour continues to Peru, where he spent two decades as a missionary, after surgery on October 13 to remove a cancerous lung tumor.
Reported by WTOP.
