The Argentine pontiff, who is wrapping up his three-country tour of South America, has made defending the poor a major theme of his "homecoming" trip, which also took him to Ecuador and Bolivia, ranked among Latin America's poorest countries.
Pope Francis' Visit to Latin America
![Youths sing and dance as they wait for the arrival of Pope Francis in Asuncion, Paraguay, July 12, 2015.](https://gdb.voanews.com/2ef8c5dc-00bf-4697-b79f-586ff84597c4_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Youths sing and dance as they wait for the arrival of Pope Francis in Asuncion, Paraguay, July 12, 2015.
![Pope Francis arrives to meet with youths in Asuncion, July 12, 2015.](https://gdb.voanews.com/6b12c356-f6a4-427a-80b8-e414a9741d85_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Pope Francis arrives to meet with youths in Asuncion, July 12, 2015.
![Pope Francis arrives at Ycua Bolanos supermarket, where more than 300 people died in a fire in 2004, in Asuncion, July 12, 2015.](https://gdb.voanews.com/b37b140c-4498-4320-9d98-1d64670c6ad2_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Pope Francis arrives at Ycua Bolanos supermarket, where more than 300 people died in a fire in 2004, in Asuncion, July 12, 2015.
![Pope Francis waves as he leaves the prison of Palmasola in Santa Cruz, Bolivia July 10, 2015.](https://gdb.voanews.com/8e669f0a-0fd3-4264-b30f-5ba8a215301b_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Pope Francis waves as he leaves the prison of Palmasola in Santa Cruz, Bolivia July 10, 2015.