Peru prepares for papal visit as Ecuador plans port modernization

In Peru, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have inspected the Yarinacocha boulevard in Pucallpa to prepare for a visit by Pope Leo XIV. The Pontiff is scheduled to tour the country from November 11 to 16, with stops in Lima, Callao, Chiclayo, Cusco, and Pucallpa following visits to Argentina and Uruguay. The event in Yarinacocha will feature an encounter between the Pope and representatives from native communities and indigenous peoples of the Amazon basin. The boulevard has a capacity for over 5,000 people, and the national papal tour is expected to mobilize more than 800,000 people across the country.

In Ecuador, the government is planning a $191 million modernization of the Esmeraldas commercial port through a public-private partnership (PPP). Vice Minister of Public-Private Investments Eduardo Falquez conducted a technical inspection of the facilities to evaluate infrastructure needs. The Esmeraldas port is currently the only state-owned commercial port in Ecuador not yet under private concession. The investment aims to upgrade equipment, expand operational capacity, and improve the maritime access channel to accommodate larger vessels, specifically to support the export of key products like palm oil.