On Sunday, Pope Leo XIV arrived in the Peruvian Andes for the final leg of his South American tour, DW reports.
The pontiff, who once served in Peru for 20 years, is expected to place particular emphasis in his upcoming meetings on Indigenous rights and the protection of the Amazon.
On Sunday, Leo arrived in Cusco, the former capital of the Inca Empire, located at an altitude of 3,400 metres.
Peruvian Cardinal Pedro Barreto told the Associated Press news agency that Leo is “continuing the work begun” by his predecessor, Pope Francis, in the areas of environmental protection and human rights.
Next, the Pope will travel to Pucallpa, a city in the Amazon facing a dual threat: deforestation and illegal mining.
Earlier, on Saturday, the head of the Vatican celebrated an open-air Mass in the town of Santa Cruz de Succhabamba.
He also visited the town of Zaña, located about 45 kilometres to the south-east, which is an important centre of the Afro-Peruvian community.
The pontiff, who in May apologised for the Church’s role in the transatlantic slave trade, noted that Zaña “preserves the memory of generations of Africans who were torn from their homes and turned into slaves”.
Leo, who is originally from Chicago, served as bishop of the Peruvian city of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023, when he was called to the Vatican. He holds citizenship of both the United States and Peru.
