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Pope Leo Arrives in Uruguay to Begin Three-Nation South American Visit

The 12-day trip takes the pope to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, weeks after surgery for lung cancer.

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A return to South America

November 6, 2026 · 3:00 p.m. Central / 6:00 p.m. Uruguay

Pope Leo XIV arrived in Uruguay on Friday to begin a 12-day visit to South America, returning to a continent where he spent years as a missionary and bishop in Peru.

His plane landed at Montevideo’s Carrasco airport at 4:19 p.m. local time, Vatican News reported. Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi greeted him at the airport. The visit continues to Argentina and Peru before the pope returns to Rome on November 17.

The trip follows surgery less than a month ago to remove a cancerous tumor from the pope’s right lung. The Associated Press reported that the operation had raised questions about whether the journey would go ahead.

Three countries, 12 days

Leo is scheduled to stay in Uruguay through November 8, visiting Montevideo, Paysandú and Florida, according to the Vatican’s itinerary. His schedule then calls for stops in Argentina through November 11 and in Peru through November 17.

It is the first papal visit to Uruguay since John Paul II traveled there in 1988. In Peru, Leo previously served as bishop of Chiclayo before being called to Rome in 2023, the Associated Press reported.

Plans can change during a trip. The Vatican’s schedule lists the stops; it does not mean events later in the tour have already occurred.

Travel after surgery

On the flight, Leo told reporters that some people had doubted he could make the trip after his lung operation, AP reported. The agency said the cancerous tumor was removed on October 13.

Leo’s arrival begins the tour; his future health and the rest of the itinerary remain matters to follow as the visit unfolds.

Where the visit began

The star marks the approximate center of Montevideo, Uruguay, not the airport.

★ Approximate Montevideo, Uruguay city center. Map data: OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Open map.

The trip at a glance

Dates and arrival time are local to South America. Future events are scheduled, not completed.

  1. Leo underwent lung surgery, according to AP.
  2. The pope landed in Uruguay at 4:19 p.m., Vatican News said.
  3. Argentina visit scheduled.
  4. Peru visit scheduled, followed by a return to Rome.

Vatican News on the arrival

Vatican News posted details of the landing and official welcome on X.

Open the original post if the embed does not load.

Sources and visual credits

Vatican News: arrival · Associated Press · Vatican itinerary · Associated Press: flight interview · Vatican News on X.

Hero and thumbnail: conceptual illustration, not a photograph or a precise geographic map. Map data: OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.