"Pope Francis in Bolivia's arms," reads the front page of today's edition of Bolivian newspaper La Prensa. After three days in Ecuador, the Pope arrives in Bolivia, where he will stay until Friday.
In his homily in Quito on Tuesday, Francis called for an end to repression in the region — and La Prensa"s writes that to coincide with the papal visit, the Bolivian parliament passed a law granting amnesty to prisoners of conscience.
Francis will spend most of Wednesday in the Bolivian capital of La Paz, where he will meet President Evo Morales. Later in the day, he will leave for Santa Cruz, the country's second-largest city, where he will spend the rest of his short stay.
Recent reports in the Bolivian and international media have speculated over whether the Pope will chew coca leaves while he is in the countryside. Coca leaves, which are the main ingredient in cocaine, are widely used in Bolivia to combat altitude sickness, often chewed or brewed as tea. Two of his predecessors engaged in the local custom, and Bolivia's culture minister has invited Francis to do the same.
ABOUT THE SOURCE: La Prensa is a Bolivian daily published in La Paz.
