Peru’s Callao to build 14-meter statue of Pope Leo XIV

Callao is preparing a 14-meter monument to Pope Leo XIV, making it Peru’s tallest statue dedicated to a pontiff once installed. The sculpture will stand by the sea at the future Gaelito Children’s Park, near the Costa Verde exit toward Chucuito.

The project aims to honor Robert Prevost’s connection with the Callao community. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Prevost served as apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Callao, supporting parishioners through virtual Masses and assistance directed mainly at vulnerable people.

The statue will consist of a 12-meter metal structure with a marble-like finish, placed on a two-meter pedestal. Because it will face the sea, its design will account for wind loads of up to 120 kilometers per hour to ensure stability and safety.

Sculptors Deyvi Wong Arana and Rafael Gutiérrez Quispe will create the work. Wong is a sculptor with Lima’s municipal real estate company, EMILIMA, and works with the sculpture workshop of the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima. Gutiérrez, a Peruvian sculptor and artisan, trained at Peru’s National Superior Autonomous School of Fine Arts and has more than 15 years of experience in design and visual arts.

Caja Huancayo’s donation will make construction possible, after the Callao Provincial Municipality’s council of aldermen approved the initiative. The statue will form part of the future park, named after Jesús Gael Alejandro Rodríguez, a four-year-old child who died in March 2026. The municipality says the monument is intended to represent faith, hope and unity for families in Callao.