After concluding the first half of his trip to South America in Uruguay and Argentina, the Pope Leo XIV He arrived in Peru, his homeland, toured the streets of Breña and the center of Lima aboard the popemobile before a wave of people and was received at the Government Palace by the president. Keiko Fujimoriwith whom he held a bilateral meeting of about 33 minutes.
Before the meeting with the Peruvian president, the Supreme Pontiff received the honors of head of state in the Patio of Honor and a tribute from a children’s choir. Furthermore, as a sign of reaffirmation of his Peruvian identity, he sang the national anthem from beginning to end. An unprecedented act in the history of the country.
The Holy Father greeted each of the ministers of State and also the Peruvian ecclesiastical authorities.
After that, he met with Fujimori Higuchi in the Ambassadors room at the headquarters of the Executive Branch. At the meeting, the head of state presented the Holy Father with an Ayacucho altarpiece.
Sources close to the Government Palace indicated to El Comercio that Pope Leo XIV, during the meeting, addressed issues of human rights and the social situation in the country. This was later captured in the words he gave at the Gran Teatro Nacional, in San Borja, where he stressed that the events of the past deserve to be treated with justice and sensitivity.
“Peru has gone through difficult times that have tested coexistence among its inhabitants. The events of the past deserve to be treated with justice and sensitivity, leaving room for harmony to grow and differences to be faced with respect. Democratic life implies recognizing that no one has all the answers and that differences do not prevent sharing a sincere concern for the good of the country,” he said.
In parallel, in the Cáceres room, the meeting between the official delegations of the Peruvian government and the Vatican took place.
(Photo: Peruvian Presidency)
Representing the Fuerza Popular administration were the head of the Ministerial Cabinet, Luis Galarreta, and four other ministers: Carlos Espá (Foreign Relations), Ernesto Álvarez (Justice and Human Rights), Mara Seminario (Women and Vulnerable Populations) and Maritza Canales Martínez (Development and Social Inclusion).
And, on behalf of the Holy See, the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, participated; the secretary for General Affairs, Monsignor Paolo Rudelli; the Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher; the apostolic nuncio, Monsignor Paolo Rocco; and the advisor of the Apostolic Nunciature, Monsignor Giuseppe Quiriguetti.
Fujimori Higuchi, at the beginning of his speech, made an assessment of the pastoral work of Pope Leo He added that his visit brings a message of “faith and hope” for Peru, especially in the context of the El Niño phenomenon.
“Its arrival also coincides with a complex moment. The threat of the El Niño Phenomenon and the difficulties of daily life have sown fear and uncertainty in many homes. And this is where we must remember that while fear can lead us to hopelessness and paralyze us, faith fills us with light and does not give us the strength to move forward,” he said.
The head of state stressed that the presence of the Supreme Pontiff “is living confirmation that we are not alone” and calls on the nation to reflect “on the most urgent and pending task: national reconciliation.” “We have had many decades of confrontation and mistrust,” he added.
In that sense, Fujimori stated that we must learn that discrepancies “cannot turn us into enemies” and that the different political sectors of the country must learn to resolve these “using democratic mechanisms,” such as debate and institutions. For this reason, he welcomed the presence of former presidents Manuel Merino, Dina Boluarte, José Jerí and José María Balcázar, as well as political leaders and deputies and senators from different groups of the current Congress.
Boluarte was vacated by the Congress of the Republic in October 2025, following the armed attack on the musical group Armonía 10. (Photo: Antonio Melgarejo/ El Comercio)
Boluarte’s presence was questioned by deputies Rossana Alayza (Good Government), Indira Huilca (Together for Peru) and Roxana Rocha (Popular Renewal). The latter said that it was “a mistake” that they had invited her. In addition, they criticized that she did not respect the dress code, which was to wear black clothing, while she was in white.
In the governments of Merino, Boluarte and Jerí, deaths were recorded as a result of the confrontation between the Armed Forces and the National Police.
Jerí was censured last February, after it was revealed that he held unregistered meetings with Chinese businessmen. (Photo: Antonio Melgarejo/ El Comercio)
Sources close to the Executive indicated that the invitation to the former presidents was “per protocol” and that it was extended to all those who are free, including Ollanta Humala, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (PPK) and Francisco Sagasti. However, they did not attend. Regarding the economist, they said that he probably did not attend due to his health problems, while about the former founder of the Purple Party they presumed that it was because he is agnostic.
Fujimori Higuchi maintained that in order for the country to reconcile, it is necessary to “close” the gaps in inequality and in care for populations that still suffer the negative impact of terrorist violence.
“To move forward, Peru needs to reconcile. No country can live prisoner of its wounds. We need to learn to look back with truth and justice, but also with mercy and compassion. “Peru needs to live in peace with its past to embrace its future,” he expressed in the final section of his speech that lasted just over 12 minutes.
Other sources close to the Government Palace reported that the Fujimori administration invited the presidents of the region – except those of Uruguay and Argentina, where the Pope was already present – to arrive in Lima and participate in the reception of the Supreme Pontiff. However, at the closing of this note, it was only known that the first ladies of Colombia, Ana Lucía Pineda, and of Bolivia, María Elena Urquidi, arrived in Lima.
(Photo: Analú Pineda)
In statements to Radio Centro, from Guayaquil, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa revealed that he received Fujimori’s invitation. However, he indicated that he could not travel, because his country is facing the El Niño Phenomenon.
Fujimori “was kind enough to invite me to go and have an audience with the Pope in Lima, but at this moment you cannot travel, you cannot leave Ecuador, there are many needs, we are dealing with the El Niño phenomenon, we have to put order in many areas,” said Noboa.
The members of the Ministerial Cabinet arrived late to the reception ceremony for Pope Leo XIV at the Grand National Theater. The bus that was transporting them from the Government Palace took the route along Abancay Avenue, in the Center of Lima, and suffered the chaos of the traffic in this area of the city.
They arrived at the place when the tribute to the Supreme Pontiff had already begun and the places they had reserved in the first rows had to be reassigned so that the void was not visible.
