Pope Calls for an End to Peru’s Rising Violence

At Chiclayo’s St. Mary Cathedral, the church in which he served as bishop between 2014 and 2023, Leo placed his pontificate in the care of the Virgin Mary and spoke of the “darkness” of violence and insecurity in Peru. He said people felt threatened by widespread violence and the suffering it causes, while urging them not to lose hope.

Peru’s homicide rate has almost doubled in five years, rising from 5.8 to 10.7 per 100,000 people. Extortion reports climbed from 2,421 in 2019 to 26,734 in 2025, official figures show. Crime has made security a leading concern and influenced the last presidential election.

Leo then traveled by helicopter to Santa Cruz de Succhabamba, a mountain community about 150 kilometers from Chiclayo. He had served poor communities there as bishop, sometimes making the difficult journey himself by pickup truck. He said injustice and evil are overcome not through brutality but through prayer, perseverance, speaking out and working for necessary change.

President Keiko Fujimori took office in July after campaigning on fighting crime. Her government has declared states of emergency in Lima and in prisons holding people linked to criminal organizations. Fujimori has also brought Peru into the U.S.-led Shield of the Americas coalition, which conducts joint operations against drug cartels, and visited El Salvador’s CECOT prison shortly before the pope’s trip. During her campaign, she expressed interest in building a similar facility.

In Lima, Leo has also condemned violence against women and called for their protection. Peru recorded 1,261 femicide victims from 2016 through 2024, with the annual number rising 44% over that period. He is due to meet Amazonian and Indigenous communities on Sunday and hold a concluding Mass in Lima on Monday, then return to the Vatican.

Pope Urges Peru to Confront Violence Without Brutality

Pope Leo XIV prayed for an end to Peru’s violence and urged people to pursue justice without resorting to brutality, a message with added weight as President Keiko Fujimori advances an aggressive crime agenda. In Chiclayo, the pope spoke of the fear and suffering caused by widespread violence and appealed for prayer, perseverance and efforts to bring about change.

The security crisis is stark: Peru’s homicide rate has nearly doubled in five years, while extortion reports rose from 2,421 in 2019 to 26,734 in 2025. Crime has become a leading public concern and helped shape the last presidential election.

Fujimori assumed the presidency in July, having pledged to tackle crime. Her government has declared emergency measures in Lima and prisons, joined the U.S.-led Shield of the Americas coalition for operations against drug cartels, and shown interest in a prison modeled on El Salvador’s CECOT. Leo’s call to reject brutality points toward a different emphasis: justice and lasting change, not simply tougher enforcement.

The pope also condemned violence against women and called for their respect and protection. Peru recorded 1,261 femicide victims between 2016 and 2024, and the annual toll rose 44% during that period. Leo is scheduled to meet Amazonian and Indigenous communities on Sunday and hold a Mass in Lima on Monday, then return to the Vatican.

Peru’s Crime Crisis Demands More Than Papal Prayers

Peru’s worsening crime crisis has made security a leading public concern, and Pope Leo XIV addressed it during visits to Chiclayo and Santa Cruz de Succhabamba on November 14. His appeal for an end to violence comes as President Keiko Fujimori presses a campaign promise to combat crime with emergency measures and stronger international cooperation.

The figures show the scale of the problem: the homicide rate has nearly doubled in five years, and extortion reports increased from 2,421 in 2019 to 26,734 in 2025. Fujimori’s government has declared states of emergency in Lima and prisons holding inmates linked to criminal organizations. Peru has also joined the U.S.-led Shield of the Americas coalition, which carries out joint operations against drug cartels.

Fujimori recently visited El Salvador’s maximum-security CECOT prison, a model she had expressed interest in replicating during her campaign. Leo, meanwhile, urged Peruvians not to meet injustice with brutality, calling instead for perseverance and work toward necessary change. His moral appeal does not erase the urgent need to protect people facing violence.

Leo also condemned violence against women and called for women to be respected and protected. Peru recorded 1,261 femicide victims from 2016 to 2024, while the annual number rose 44%. He is expected to meet Amazonian and Indigenous communities on Sunday and conduct his concluding Lima Mass on Monday, ahead of his return to the Vatican.