announced on Friday that Pope Leo XIV will celebrate a large-scale Mass on November 16 at Las Palmas Air Base, located in Lima's Santiago de Surco district.
"On the final day, the Pope will celebrate Mass at Las Palmas Air Base on November 16," Espa stated in the context of the agreements made during the installation of the Commission "The Visit of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV."
The government official clarified that November 16 will be Pope Leo XIV's final day of activities in Peru, following visits to the cities of Chiclayo, Cusco, Pucallpa, and Lima beginning on November 11.
"We are going to have that Mass, which will be beautiful. I am sure that last time there were 1.5 million people; this time, there will be 2 million or 2.5 million Peruvians," the minister forecast.
"We must provide all the necessary guarantees to ensure that the Mass is held with all the appropriate safety measures and comfort for those attending," Espa added.
"We have to hold it as early as possible so that it will not be so hot, because we will be in the midst of El Niño phenomenon," he noted.
Diplomatic relations with Bolivia
On another matter, the minister said an "important announcement" regarding the improvement of Peru's diplomatic relations with the Plurinational State of Bolivia will be made public within two days.
"That is great news. In two days, you will surely be able to see, in concrete terms, what we are going to do. We are going to make an important announcement concerning Bolivia," he indicated.
Espa insisted that, as Foreign Affairs Minister, he will have the "immense pleasure" of demonstrating in a couple of days, through concrete actions, "the closeness and brotherhood" with Bolivia's President Rodrigo Paz and the Bolivian nation.
"We want to strengthen relations with Bolivia, just as when I said, 'How do we define Mexico? Mexico, beautiful and beloved.' That is how we Peruvians know Mexico, and Bolivia is a brotherly country, a close country," he expressed.
Since January 2025, Peru and Bolivia have not had ambassadors representing their respective countries. Peru's most recent ambassador to Bolivia was Carina Ruth Palacios Quincho.
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