Pope Leo Urges End to Violence in Peru

Pope Leo XIV prayed for an end to Peru’s escalating violence during a visit to Chiclayo, where he once served as bishop, and to the remote Andean community of Santa Cruz de Succhabamba. He said Peruvians feel threatened by widespread violence and suffering, while urging people to confront injustice not with brutality but with prayer, patience, persistent denunciation of wrongdoing and efforts to bring about change. Official figures cited in the reports show the homicide rate nearly doubled over five years, while reported extortion cases rose sharply from 2019 to 2025. The visit also highlighted hardship in rural communities, where migration and declining birth rates are contributing to villages losing residents. Security was a major concern in Peru’s latest election, and President Keiko Fujimori has declared states of emergency as her government pledges to combat crime.