Pope Leo XIV has launched a harsh criticism of Argentine President Javier Milei’s harsh austerity measures, insisting that growth must benefit everyone in a speech received with enthusiastic applause in Buenos Aires. “The economy must be at the service of the people, instead of the people being at the service of the economy,” he said on Sunday, shortly after landing in Argentina on the second leg of a tour of Latin America. He spoke out in defense of the poor and pensioners, insisting that “special concern be shown for those affected by illness, dependency and disability”, a veiled reference to the government’s controversial cuts to disability assistance. He also told Milei, known for his foul-mouthed tirades, that strengthening democracy requires a “willingness to listen” and the “careful use of words.” Leo, 71, is on an ambitious 12-day tour of the continent, just three weeks after undergoing surgery. for lung cancer. The visit is the first by a pontiff to Argentina in almost four decades, and Leo has faced calls to help repair deep divisions in the country after three years of austerity under Milei’s government. country, which is bitterly divided between supporters and opponents of Milei. “Just as the World Cup unites us, I hope the Pope does too,” said Liliana Deblauwe, a 68-year-old retired teacher who waited with hundreds of people to see the Pope visit a monument to liberation hero José de San Martín. Hundreds more singing “Papa León” gathered outside the presidential palace, where he was greeted by Milei. Job-seeking Pope Leo, 26, spent five days traveling overland from Ushuaia, at the very tip of South America, to see the pontiff. He said he hoped to bring “a lot of peace to Argentina.” Pope León with the Argentine Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pablo Quirno, after laying a wreath in the Plaza San Martín in Buenos Aires. Photograph: Matías Martín Campaya/EPALeo arrived in Buenos Aires from Uruguay, where he began his first trip as Pope to Latin America, the most Catholic continent in the world and increasingly secular. In Uruguay he condemned drug trafficking violence and urged an end to child poverty. In Buenos Aires, he insisted on the importance of “personal integrity” in public positions, highlighting that “corruption undermines citizens’ confidence in their institutions.” for the fact that Francis has not visited during his papacy. It will also act as a litmus test of support for the church. In a recent survey by the University of Buenos Aires, 57.7% of people identified as Catholic, up from around 90% in the 1960s. Leo will visit a home for disabled people and a prison and celebrate three open-air masses. The church has said it expects 7 million to attend the various events. Milei came to power promising to revive Argentina’s weakened economy and control rampant inflation by reducing the welfare state, targeting public hospitals, universities and pensioners in particular. The poverty rate has swung wildly since he came to power, rising to 32.3% in September. A close ally of US President Donald Trump, with a similarly combative style, Milei had a strained relationship with Francis. During the election campaign, the cost-cutting economist called his compatriot a “moron” for standing up for social justice. However, once in office, he softened his tone, but continues to insult the press and the opposition. friendly, but has been heavily criticized by the local Catholic church for treating key social services solely as a budget constraint. Milei has also been criticized for restricting several democratic freedoms, including the right to protest. But he maintains a base of loyal supporters to drastically reduce inflation.
