Leo XIV drew more than 158,000 people in Uruguay: the government highlighted the international "positioning"

Pope Leo waves from the popemobile upon his arrival to celebrate a mass outside the Basilica Cathedral of Florida, as part of the first papal visit to Uruguay since 1988 and as part of his 12-day trip across South America; Florida, Uruguay, November 8, 2026. REUTERS/Martin Varela Umpierrez The Uruguayan government summed up Pope Leo XIV's three-day visit to the country in two words: happiness and pride. More than 158,000 people attended the various activities in which the pontiff took part, the Interior Ministry reported on Monday. "Happiness and pride are the two words that can best summarize what so many tens of thousands of people experienced on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in so many parts of the country," Uruguay's foreign minister, Mario Lubetkin, said on Monday at a press conference. The Foreign Ministry said that same Monday it took part in an event with prominent business leaders, who at the start asked for a round of applause for what had happened over the weekend. The events unfolded as planned, he said. Faithful gather outside the Basilica Cathedral of Florida before a mass celebrated by Pope Leo, as part of the first papal visit to Uruguay since 1988 and as part of his 12-day trip across South America; Florida, Uruguay, November 8, 2026. REUTERS/Martin Varela Umpierrez The Uruguayan foreign minister said he had received messages from abroad from people who were surprised by the image of all the presidents together. When the pope arrived at Independence Square on Friday, current President Yamandú Orsi introduced him to his predecessors Julio María Sanguinetti, Luis Alberto Lacalle and Luis Lacalle Pou. "We criticize each other a lot, we are hyper-critical, but when we have to bring out that spirit of the country, the synthesis we made is one of the most extraordinary moments," Lubetkin said. "The number of messages I received from Europe, Africa, Asia, from the Gulf countries and Latin America [shows] that the signal is powerful. There is no doubt about it (...) Did Uruguay become strongly positioned in the world? There is no doubt about that," the Uruguayan foreign minister added. Pope Leo waves from the popemobile upon his arrival to celebrate mass at París Londres Park, in the first papal visit to Uruguay since 1988, as part of his 12-day trip to South America, in Paysandú, Uruguay, November 7, 2026. REUTERS/Yara Nardi The Interior Ministry, for its part, carried out an evaluation on Monday of the security operation, which went "according to the planned schedule," according to a statement. More than 5,000 police officers were assigned to the operation. The ministry counted how many people attended each of the celebrations. On his second day in Uruguay, the pontiff traveled to Paysandú, where a mass was held at París Londres park that drew more than 35,000 people. In the Casavalle neighborhood — on the outskirts of Montevideo — some 3,000 people gathered. And some 67,000 people gathered at the Centenario Stadium. On Sunday, about 50,000 people attended the mass held at the Asamblea Square in Florida. On the way to that city — located 100 kilometers from Montevideo — the pope passed through Juanicó, where some 3,000 people gathered. Police officers walk through Casavalle before the arrival of Pope Leo at the parish of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, as part of the first papal visit to Uruguay since 1988 and as part of his 12-day trip across South America; Montevideo, Uruguay, November 7, 2026. REUTERS/Martin Varela Umpierrez Another figure showing how massive these gatherings were comes from vehicle movements and border crossings. On Thursday, between 6:00 p.m. and midnight, traffic in the areas around Paysandú registered an increase of between 300% and 450% compared to usual levels. At the Paso del Puerto checkpoint, a 50% increase in vehicle flow was recorded throughout the early morning. The increase was even greater between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. on Friday, a period in which traffic nearly doubled the usual figures, according to official data. Between November 5 and 7, almost 48,000 people arrived in the country. Pope Leo speaks during a meeting with members of the educational community at the Catholic University of Uruguay, in the first papal visit to Uruguay since 1988, as part of his 12-day trip across South America, in Montevideo, Uruguay, November 7, 2026. REUTERS/Yara Nardi TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY On Sunday afternoon the pope departed for Buenos Aires. "Uruguay will no longer be the same from today," the Uruguayan president told the pontiff before he boarded the plane. Orsi thanked him for his presence in Uruguay and said everything had gone "very well." "Very well," Pope Leo XIV emphasized, as could be seen in the official broadcast. During the protocolary greetings, the pontiff told Cardinal Daniel Sturla, archbishop of Montevideo, "until next time."