Pope Leo urges end to violence in Peru during visit to remote Andes town

Pope Leo XIV has called for an end to the violence gripping Peru, urging people not to respond to injustice with brutality, as he visited communities he once served as bishop. “We feel threatened by the uncertainty of widespread violence and by the unspeakable suffering that continues to afflict so many of our brothers and sisters, he said, speaking at his former cathedral in Chiclayo. Peru’s homicide rate has nearly doubled over the past five years, from 5.8 to 10.7 per 100,000 people.

Reported extortion cases rose from 2,421 in 2019 to 26,734 in 2025, according to official figures cited by The Associated Press. Security was a top concern for Peruvians in the last election. Conservative President Keiko Jujimori took office in July after promising to tackle crime.

She has since declared states of emergency, including in Lima in August, then in September in prisons holding inmates linked to criminal organisations.