Pope Leo XIV's Argentina visit highlights tensions with President Javier Milei
Pope Leo XIV has arrived in Argentina for a three-day visit—the first papal trip to the country since John Paul II in 1987. On Monday 9 November, his first official stop is the Cottolengo Don Orione, a Catholic home in Claypole caring for roughly 400 people with disabilities. The visit immediately highlights sharp tensions with President Javier Milei, whose aggressive public spending cuts have targeted social programs. Facility coordinator Fernando Montero stated that government deliveries of medications, special foods, and diapers have been suspended since last November, leaving the dispute in the courts.
The conflict reflects broader friction between the Catholic Church and Milei's administration. Thinktank Mate estimates that retirees on the minimum pension, who account for 63 percent of the total, have lost about 30 percent of their purchasing power under Milei's austerity drive. Argentina's bishops have also met with health minister Mario Lugones over the unresolved disability funding impasse. Beyond economic policy, the two leaders diverge sharply on technology: while Pope Leo XIV called to "disarm" artificial intelligence, Milei has advanced legislation to deregulate AI and grant legal status to non-human corporations, underscoring deep ideological rifts across the nation.
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