Pope Leo XIV to visit violent Uruguayan neighborhood

Pope Leo XIV will begin his South American tour in a Montevideo neighborhood where drug trafficking has made daily life dangerous for families. The visit is set to start on Nov. 6, marking the first stop of a 12-day journey through Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. The Pope confirmed these plans despite a recent cancer diagnosis. His first destination is the Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in the Borro district.

Borro has been hit hard by a rise in violent crime. An official count shows that 98 homicides were recorded in Montevideo by September. That total is 13.5 percent higher than the number from the same period last year. More than 46 percent of those killings occurred in Borro and the areas next to it. While Uruguay still has a lower homicide rate than the rest of the region, with about 10 deaths per 100,000 people, Interior Minister Carlos Negro called the current numbers an epidemic in October 2025.

Residents say the sound of gunfire is a normal part of their days. Lucía Pintos, a 21-year-old student training to be a teacher, explained that parents often keep their children indoors to avoid stray bullets. She noted that children sometimes go to school just to receive a lunch or an afternoon snack. Rev. Pablo Coimbra, who leads the parish, said families know when they must go inside. He described the machine-gun fire as bursts that can strike anyone nearby.

The parish has become a central refuge for the community. Neighbors bring injured people to the church because ambulances will only drive as far as the building. In the past, gangs expelled families at gunpoint to use their homes for drug dens, forcing those families to take shelter in the church. The parish is also leading a social housing project. Residents are currently building more than 100 units with sanitation systems, an effort that creates local jobs.

The visit comes as the neighborhood prepares for the Pope's arrival. A concrete road was recently built to replace dirt paths that often fill with mud near a stream. A restored soccer field sits in the center of the area. However, training for the local team, which includes a young player named Lautaro Martínez, is currently suspended as a precaution after recent shootings.

Faith plays a key role in helping young people escape crime. The parish holds a Mass for homeless people on Mondays, drawing dozens of visitors from across the city. Coimbra said that attendees often stay for a bathroom and two meals, but they primarily come to be heard. Many of these visitors have not been baptized, a trend that matches national data showing only 2,200 of 30,000 newborns in Uruguay received baptism in 2025.

Pablo Acosta, 28, was born in Borro and spent time in the criminal underworld. He now lives between shelters and the streets while working informally in local markets. He sends money to his 10-year-old son, whom he does not see due to his addictions. Acosta has a gunshot wound in his stomach and several stab wounds. He said he has been trying to quit drugs for the past month. Coimbra said the church aims to provide opportunities for youth who lack clubs, sports, or other activities to keep them from falling into crime.