Pope Leo XIV Begins South American Tour in Uruguay

Montevideo is the first stop of the journey. Leo XIV took part in a formal welcome there, with events scheduled in the capital as part of his visit to Uruguay.

After Uruguay, the planned route moves to Argentina and then Peru. Euronews reported that stops are scheduled in Buenos Aires, Córdoba and Luján in Argentina, followed by appearances in Chiclayo, Cusco and Pucallpa in Peru.

The journey has been described as a return to a region central to Leo XIV’s pastoral history. The supplied reporting says he spent roughly two decades serving in South America as a missionary priest, bishop or pastor, including a long period in Peru.

The tour follows recent lung surgery. PBS NewsHour and Al Jazeera described the procedure as the removal of a cancerous tumor, while Euronews, France 24 and Deutsche Welle characterized it as lung cancer surgery. The reports agree that the operation preceded the trip but differ in their medical wording.

The schedule is also described differently across the reporting. PBS NewsHour, EL PAÍS and Al Jazeera place the end of the journey on November 17, 2026, while other reports describe the tour as lasting either 11 or 12 days. Regardless of the duration convention, the documented itinerary places Peru at the conclusion of a trip that combines the pope’s current South American engagement with his past service in the region.