Pope Leo XIV arrived in Argentina on Sunday after wrapping up his visit to Uruguay and urged leaders to put people before the economy.
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Pope Leo XIV wrapped up his visit to Uruguay and arrived in Argentina on Sunday, delivering a message that contrasted sharply with Argentine President Javier Milei’s austerity agenda.
In his first public speech in Argentina, Leo told officials, diplomats and civic leaders in Buenos Aires that “The economy must serve the person, not the person the economy,” as he argued that political leadership should prioritize people rather than economic calculations.
Leo also called for gentler politics in a deeply polarized Argentina, saying democracy depends on “careful use of words” and on the ability to see those who think differently as fellow citizens who share a common future.
Leo’s visit comes amid tense political dynamics in Milei’s government. Milei, who has described himself as an anarcho-capitalist, has staked his presidency on slashing public spending to tame inflation and has criticized social justice in recent speeches as “a horror,” “a moral aberration” and “theft.”
Ahead of Leo’s arrival, Milei’s government had sought to discourage the idea of a direct political confrontation, with Human Capital Minister Sandra Pettovello telling a Buenos Aires radio station that there was “no way the pope is coming here to comment on local politics.”
Milei, welcoming the pope, said he hoped the trip would “strengthen the faith, renew hope and bring a message of peace to all Argentines.” Leo echoed that theme while speaking in support of an approach that accounts for the unemployed, retirees and others struggling to meet household needs, including those “despite hard work.”
Leo addressed Argentina’s public universities and urged investment in education, vocational training, universities and research, as funding cuts of about 40% since 2023 have prompted protests by professors and students.
He also warned about the consequences of rapidly advancing technologies, saying on Sunday that rapid advances in artificial intelligence demand “careful consideration of the consequences of their application and the responsibilities of those who decide how to use them.”
Argentina’s political debate over Milei’s policies includes jobs and purchasing power. While Milei’s austerity drive has produced a budget surplus and cut annual inflation from 200% to about 32%, real wages have remained below their level at the time he took office in late 2023, and roughly 300,000 formal jobs have vanished.
Retirees who say they cannot afford medicine have protested outside Congress every Wednesday for more than two years, and Milei has described complaints that families can’t make it to the end of the month as “huge stupidity.”
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