This is a photo collection curated by AP photo editors.
An Indian artist Sagar Kambli makes a painting of Pope Francis as a mark of tribute on a sidewalk in Mumbai, India, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
Faithful hold candles under a highway bridge during Mass to honor the late Pope Francis in the Carlos Mugica neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
A shop owner places a black ribbon over a photo of the late Pope Francis after the news of his death at age 88, in Bethlehem, West Bank, on Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
A woman prays during the morning mass at the Sanctuaire d'adoration cathedral, following the announcement of Pope Francis's death in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)
Graffiti artist Alexander Ikawah, paints Pope Francis on a canvas in Nairobi, Kenya Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
People take photos by a photo of Pope Francis at the entrance to the car museum where one of the Popemobiles he used during his visit to Cuba is displayed in Havana, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
A man looks at a photo of the late Pope Francis projected onto the Obelisk in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)
Norberto Rodriguez places a photo of the late Pope Francis on a column at the Cathedral in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
A woman lights a candle at the Catholic Cathedral Basilica of St Dionysius the Areopagite in Athens, Greece, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
A street vendor sells key chains of the late Pope Francis outside the Cathedral in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Maureen Boyd leans against a portrait of the late Pope Francis after a mass at the Cathedral of Incarnation, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
People walk past near the screens showing the portraits of the late Pope Francis at the Coex in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
A woman lights a candle by the confessional at the Basilica de San Jose de Flores where the future Pope Francis, known as Jorge Bergoglio, first realized his calling to become a priest at age 17, in the Flores neighborhood where he grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
A vendor wears a head accessories of Pope Francis outside the Apostolic Nunciature in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
A photograph of the late Pope Francis sits in the window of the Muglia shoe store alongside the model of shoes that Jorge Bergoglio used in the Flores neighborhood where he grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
An artist paints an image of the late Pope Francis outside San Antonio parish before a Mass by fans of San Lorenzo soccer club, of which the pontiff was a lifelong supporter, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Fans of San Lorenzo soccer club attend a Mass at San Antonio Parish in honor of the late Pope Francis, a lifelong supporter of the club, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
A message board for the late Pope Francis is covered with writings from Catholic devotees outside St. Peter Parish in Quezon city, Philippines, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Faithful pray during a mass honoring Pope Francis at the Cua Bac Parish Church in Hanoi, Vietnam on April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Hau Dinh)
A parishioner prays during a special mass organised in honour of the late Pope Francis at the Holy Cross Cathedral Church in Lagos, Nigeria, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)
A parishioner prays during a special mass organised in honour of the late Pope Francis at the Holy Cross Cathedral Church in Lagos, Nigeria, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)
Clergy and worshippers take part in a Mass led by Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the top Catholic clergyman in the Holy Land, in remembrance of Pope Francis at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the site where according to tradition Jesus was crucified and buried, in the Old City of Jerusalem, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
A Catholic holds a crucifix during Pope Francis Memorial Mass, at the Cathedral of Christ the King, Johannesburg, South Africa, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Devotees pray for the late Pope Francis as they wait for their turn to be allowed in to the Apostolic Nunciature to offer their condolences, in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, April 23, 2025.(AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
Photos of late Pope Francis are projected outside Saint George Church on the feast day of Saint George in Rio de Janeiro, before sunrise, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)
Faithful pray during a Pope Francis Memorial Mass, at the Cathedral of Christ the King, Johannesburg, South Africa, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
A man walks in procession with a picture of the late Pope Francis after a Mass led by Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the top Catholic clergyman in the Holy Land, in the Old City of Jerusalem, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
Issa Kassissieh holds a candle during a Mass led by Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the top Catholic clergyman in the Holy Land, in remembrance of Pope Francis at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the site where according to tradition Jesus was crucified and buried, in the Old City of Jerusalem, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
Parishioners, as seen through a window, partake in a prayer service in remembrance of Pope Francis at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Clergy take part in a Mass led by Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the top Catholic clergyman in the Holy Land, in remembrance of Pope Francis at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the site where according to tradition Jesus was crucified and buried, in the Old City of Jerusalem, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
Devotees lay flowers near the banner of the late Pope Francis in Dili, East Timor, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Suzana Cardoso)
South Korean Kim Seung-hoe with a portrait of the late Pope Francis takes photos outside Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
A Catholic man prays after the Pope Francis Memorial Mass, at the Cathedral of Christ the King, Johannesburg, South Africa, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
The Philippine flag, left, and Vatican flag are half-staff beside a portrait of the late Pope Francis at the Cubao Cathedral in Quezon city, Philippines Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Christians attend prayer services for the late Pope Francis at St. Anthony Church in Lahore, Pakistan, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
People walk around St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)
A parishioner cries during a mass for the late Pope Francis at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
A street artists chalks a portrait of the late Pope Francis outside the Cathedral in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Faithful pray during a service for the late Pope Francis at St. Alexander's Rome Catholic Cathedral in Kyiv Ukraine, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
People pray in front of candles for the late Pope Francis on the grand staircase of the Cathedral in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Faithful attend a rosary prayer for the late Pope Francis, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Tuesday April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
A woman holds a photo of the late Pope Francis during an inter-religious prayer service in honor of the late pontiff at the Cathedral in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
People attend a mass inside Notre Dame cathedral where a poster shows Pope Francis following the Vatican's announcement of his death, Monday, April 21, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Graffiti artist Alexander Ikawah, paints Pope Francis on a canvas in Nairobi, Kenya Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
Worshippers light candles at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Aparecida, following the Vatican's announcement the death of Pope Francis, in Aparecida, Brazil Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
Catholic believers pray after the news of Pope Francis's death at Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
People light candles inside Notre Dame cathedral Monday, April 21, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Issa Kassissieh touches a photo of the late Pope Francis, which he placed in Jerusalem's Old City following news of the pontiff's death at age 88, on Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
Christians arrive with a portrait of Pope Francis for a prayer ceremony at the Cathedral Church of the Resurrection, in Lahore, Pakistan Monday, April 21, 2025, following the announcement by the Vatican of the death of Pope Francis. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
Jose H. Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles, sits behind an image of Pope Francis during a service in the Pope's honor at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels, Monday, April 21, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Photographed through the door of a confessional, a person prays during Mass in honor of Pope Francis, following the Vatican's announcement of his death, at the Cathedral in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
People pray during a Mass in honor of the late Pope Francis at Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion Cathedral in Asuncion, Paraguay, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)
Emerson Espinosa prays during a Mass in tribute to the late Pope Francis at the Cathedral in Bogotá, Colombia, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Indian Catholics light candles during a prayer meeting for Pope Francis in Kochi, India, Monday, April 21, 2025 following the announcement of his death by the Vatican. (AP Photo/R S Iyer)
Suzanne Jessep lights a candle at Sydney's St Mary's Cathedral following the death of Pope Francis, Australia, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Indian Catholics pray during a prayer meeting for Pope Francis in Kochi, India, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/R S Iyer)
People on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange observe a Moment of Silence for the passing of Pope Francis, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
The Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols speaks during a Requiem Mass for Pope Francis inside Westminster Cathedral, in London, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Fans and players stand during a moment of silence as a portrait of Pope Francis is displayed at Citi Field before a baseball game between the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies Monday, April 21, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Maria Teresa Delgado holds a portrait of the late Pope Francis during Mass at the Basílica de San José de Flores, where he worshipped as a youth, following the Vatican's announcement of his death in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)
Gregoria Caceres kneels in front of a portrait of the late Pope Francis at the Caacupe Parish, which he often visited and preached at, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Christian Palestinians attend a special prayer for the late Pope Francis after the news of his death at age 88, at the Holy Family Church in the Old City of Gaza, Gaza City, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
A portrait of the late Pope Francis is projected onto a water fountain at Magic Water Circuit in Lima, Peru, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)
A street artists chalks a portrait of the late Pope Francis outside the Cathedral in Buenos Aires, Argentina Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Priests pray next to a photo of the late Pope Francis during a prayer service at the Saint Hedwig's Cathedral in Berlin, Germany, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Alejandra Zuccoli prays at the Basílica de San José de Flores, the church where the late Pope Francis worshipped as a youth, following the Vatican's announcement of his death in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
A woman listens to a sermon inside the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral, as the Catholic Church mourns the death of Pope Francis, Monday, April 21, 2025, in Tijuana, Mexico. (AP Photo/Carlos A. Moreno)
Catholic monks pray at San Francisco Church during a Mass in memory of the late Pope Francis after the news of his death, in Antigua, Guatemala, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
Genali Nogales touches a painting of the late Pope Francis at the Basílica de San José de Flores, where he worshipped as a youth, following the Vatican's announcement of his death in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)
Faithful hold candles during a Mass honoring the late Pope Francis under a highway bridge in the Carlos Mugica neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
A parishioner weeps in front of a picture of Pope Francis at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Monday, April 21, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
A worshipper cries during Mass at the Cathedral in Buenos Aires, Argentina, following the Vatican's announcement of Pope Francis' death, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
A man touches a portrait of the late Pope Francis placed in one of the offices at the Catholic Church of the assumption in Lagos, Nigeria, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)
Myanmar Christians attend a prayer for Pope Francis at St. Mary Cathedral Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Yangon, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Thein Zaw)
Christian priests attend a prayer for Pope Francis at St. Mary Cathedral Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Yangon, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Thein Zaw)
A woman writes in a condolence book for the late Pope Francis at the Saint Hedwig's Cathedral in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
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An Indian artist Sagar Kambli makes a painting of Pope Francis as a mark of tribute on a sidewalk in Mumbai, India, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
Faithful hold candles under a highway bridge during Mass to honor the late Pope Francis in the Carlos Mugica neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
A shop owner places a black ribbon over a photo of the late Pope Francis after the news of his death at age 88, in Bethlehem, West Bank, on Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
A woman prays during the morning mass at the Sanctuaire d'adoration cathedral, following the announcement of Pope Francis's death in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)
Graffiti artist Alexander Ikawah, paints Pope Francis on a canvas in Nairobi, Kenya Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
People take photos by a photo of Pope Francis at the entrance to the car museum where one of the Popemobiles he used during his visit to Cuba is displayed in Havana, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
A man looks at a photo of the late Pope Francis projected onto the Obelisk in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)
Norberto Rodriguez places a photo of the late Pope Francis on a column at the Cathedral in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
A woman lights a candle at the Catholic Cathedral Basilica of St Dionysius the Areopagite in Athens, Greece, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
A street vendor sells key chains of the late Pope Francis outside the Cathedral in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Maureen Boyd leans against a portrait of the late Pope Francis after a mass at the Cathedral of Incarnation, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
People walk past near the screens showing the portraits of the late Pope Francis at the Coex in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
A woman lights a candle by the confessional at the Basilica de San Jose de Flores where the future Pope Francis, known as Jorge Bergoglio, first realized his calling to become a priest at age 17, in the Flores neighborhood where he grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
A vendor wears a head accessories of Pope Francis outside the Apostolic Nunciature in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
A photograph of the late Pope Francis sits in the window of the Muglia shoe store alongside the model of shoes that Jorge Bergoglio used in the Flores neighborhood where he grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
An artist paints an image of the late Pope Francis outside San Antonio parish before a Mass by fans of San Lorenzo soccer club, of which the pontiff was a lifelong supporter, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Fans of San Lorenzo soccer club attend a Mass at San Antonio Parish in honor of the late Pope Francis, a lifelong supporter of the club, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
A message board for the late Pope Francis is covered with writings from Catholic devotees outside St. Peter Parish in Quezon city, Philippines, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Faithful pray during a mass honoring Pope Francis at the Cua Bac Parish Church in Hanoi, Vietnam on April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Hau Dinh)
A parishioner prays during a special mass organised in honour of the late Pope Francis at the Holy Cross Cathedral Church in Lagos, Nigeria, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)
A parishioner prays during a special mass organised in honour of the late Pope Francis at the Holy Cross Cathedral Church in Lagos, Nigeria, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)
Clergy and worshippers take part in a Mass led by Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the top Catholic clergyman in the Holy Land, in remembrance of Pope Francis at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the site where according to tradition Jesus was crucified and buried, in the Old City of Jerusalem, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
A Catholic holds a crucifix during Pope Francis Memorial Mass, at the Cathedral of Christ the King, Johannesburg, South Africa, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Devotees pray for the late Pope Francis as they wait for their turn to be allowed in to the Apostolic Nunciature to offer their condolences, in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, April 23, 2025.(AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
Photos of late Pope Francis are projected outside Saint George Church on the feast day of Saint George in Rio de Janeiro, before sunrise, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)
Faithful pray during a Pope Francis Memorial Mass, at the Cathedral of Christ the King, Johannesburg, South Africa, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
A man walks in procession with a picture of the late Pope Francis after a Mass led by Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the top Catholic clergyman in the Holy Land, in the Old City of Jerusalem, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
Issa Kassissieh holds a candle during a Mass led by Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the top Catholic clergyman in the Holy Land, in remembrance of Pope Francis at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the site where according to tradition Jesus was crucified and buried, in the Old City of Jerusalem, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
Parishioners, as seen through a window, partake in a prayer service in remembrance of Pope Francis at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Clergy take part in a Mass led by Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the top Catholic clergyman in the Holy Land, in remembrance of Pope Francis at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the site where according to tradition Jesus was crucified and buried, in the Old City of Jerusalem, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
Devotees lay flowers near the banner of the late Pope Francis in Dili, East Timor, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Suzana Cardoso)
South Korean Kim Seung-hoe with a portrait of the late Pope Francis takes photos outside Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
A Catholic man prays after the Pope Francis Memorial Mass, at the Cathedral of Christ the King, Johannesburg, South Africa, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
The Philippine flag, left, and Vatican flag are half-staff beside a portrait of the late Pope Francis at the Cubao Cathedral in Quezon city, Philippines Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Christians attend prayer services for the late Pope Francis at St. Anthony Church in Lahore, Pakistan, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
People walk around St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)
A parishioner cries during a mass for the late Pope Francis at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
A street artists chalks a portrait of the late Pope Francis outside the Cathedral in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Faithful pray during a service for the late Pope Francis at St. Alexander's Rome Catholic Cathedral in Kyiv Ukraine, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
People pray in front of candles for the late Pope Francis on the grand staircase of the Cathedral in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Faithful attend a rosary prayer for the late Pope Francis, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Tuesday April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
A woman holds a photo of the late Pope Francis during an inter-religious prayer service in honor of the late pontiff at the Cathedral in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
People attend a mass inside Notre Dame cathedral where a poster shows Pope Francis following the Vatican's announcement of his death, Monday, April 21, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Graffiti artist Alexander Ikawah, paints Pope Francis on a canvas in Nairobi, Kenya Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
Worshippers light candles at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Aparecida, following the Vatican's announcement the death of Pope Francis, in Aparecida, Brazil Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
Catholic believers pray after the news of Pope Francis's death at Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
People light candles inside Notre Dame cathedral Monday, April 21, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Issa Kassissieh touches a photo of the late Pope Francis, which he placed in Jerusalem's Old City following news of the pontiff's death at age 88, on Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
Christians arrive with a portrait of Pope Francis for a prayer ceremony at the Cathedral Church of the Resurrection, in Lahore, Pakistan Monday, April 21, 2025, following the announcement by the Vatican of the death of Pope Francis. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
Jose H. Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles, sits behind an image of Pope Francis during a service in the Pope's honor at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels, Monday, April 21, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Photographed through the door of a confessional, a person prays during Mass in honor of Pope Francis, following the Vatican's announcement of his death, at the Cathedral in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
People pray during a Mass in honor of the late Pope Francis at Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion Cathedral in Asuncion, Paraguay, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)
Emerson Espinosa prays during a Mass in tribute to the late Pope Francis at the Cathedral in Bogotá, Colombia, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Indian Catholics light candles during a prayer meeting for Pope Francis in Kochi, India, Monday, April 21, 2025 following the announcement of his death by the Vatican. (AP Photo/R S Iyer)
Suzanne Jessep lights a candle at Sydney's St Mary's Cathedral following the death of Pope Francis, Australia, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Indian Catholics pray during a prayer meeting for Pope Francis in Kochi, India, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/R S Iyer)
People on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange observe a Moment of Silence for the passing of Pope Francis, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
The Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols speaks during a Requiem Mass for Pope Francis inside Westminster Cathedral, in London, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Fans and players stand during a moment of silence as a portrait of Pope Francis is displayed at Citi Field before a baseball game between the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies Monday, April 21, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Maria Teresa Delgado holds a portrait of the late Pope Francis during Mass at the Basílica de San José de Flores, where he worshipped as a youth, following the Vatican's announcement of his death in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)
Gregoria Caceres kneels in front of a portrait of the late Pope Francis at the Caacupe Parish, which he often visited and preached at, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Christian Palestinians attend a special prayer for the late Pope Francis after the news of his death at age 88, at the Holy Family Church in the Old City of Gaza, Gaza City, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
A portrait of the late Pope Francis is projected onto a water fountain at Magic Water Circuit in Lima, Peru, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)
A street artists chalks a portrait of the late Pope Francis outside the Cathedral in Buenos Aires, Argentina Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Priests pray next to a photo of the late Pope Francis during a prayer service at the Saint Hedwig's Cathedral in Berlin, Germany, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Alejandra Zuccoli prays at the Basílica de San José de Flores, the church where the late Pope Francis worshipped as a youth, following the Vatican's announcement of his death in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
A woman listens to a sermon inside the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral, as the Catholic Church mourns the death of Pope Francis, Monday, April 21, 2025, in Tijuana, Mexico. (AP Photo/Carlos A. Moreno)
Catholic monks pray at San Francisco Church during a Mass in memory of the late Pope Francis after the news of his death, in Antigua, Guatemala, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
Genali Nogales touches a painting of the late Pope Francis at the Basílica de San José de Flores, where he worshipped as a youth, following the Vatican's announcement of his death in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)
Faithful hold candles during a Mass honoring the late Pope Francis under a highway bridge in the Carlos Mugica neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
A parishioner weeps in front of a picture of Pope Francis at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Monday, April 21, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
A worshipper cries during Mass at the Cathedral in Buenos Aires, Argentina, following the Vatican's announcement of Pope Francis' death, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
A man touches a portrait of the late Pope Francis placed in one of the offices at the Catholic Church of the assumption in Lagos, Nigeria, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)
Myanmar Christians attend a prayer for Pope Francis at St. Mary Cathedral Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Yangon, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Thein Zaw)
Christian priests attend a prayer for Pope Francis at St. Mary Cathedral Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Yangon, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Thein Zaw)
A woman writes in a condolence book for the late Pope Francis at the Saint Hedwig's Cathedral in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AP) — Colombians milled into voting stations on Sunday in the first round of the South American nation’s presidential election, choosing between candidates with radically diverging visions for the future of peace in a country haunted by decades of armed conflict.
The vote, seen as a referendum on outgoing President Gustavo Petro’s policies, comes 10 years after Colombia signed an historic peace pact with guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.
That agreement offered hope to break the nation out of a vicious cycle of fighting between rebel groups and the government but violence has roared back since then, coming to a head in the lead-up to the presidential vote. Criminal groups have increasingly launched drone strikes, armed attacks have plagued the race and last June, 39-year-old politician and presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe Turbay was fatally shot at a political rally.
In a country where the fight for peace has long been a part of the political ethos, the question of how to address the conflict is once again dividing the country.
The vote is slated to send a message to Latin America at a time voters are increasingly ditching leaders that pitched progressive policies, like providing opportunities to youths and rooting out corruption, to solve security ails, turning instead to heavy-handed security crackdowns like El Salvador's. It also comes as the Trump administration is placing renewed pressure on the region.
“Today's election isn't just important for us, it's important for all of Latin America,” said Juan Acevedo, a 62-year-old sociologist walking out of a voting station in Colombia's capital on Sunday morning. “Whoever wins here will suggest to the region if progressive policies will continue or if things are going to return to the right.”
There are 11 candidates running for president, but the election has basically turned into a three-horse race.
Senator and peace-builder Ivan Cepeda — a Petro ally — has led the polls and promises to carry on with Petro's “total peace” initiative to negotiate with the country’s remaining rebel groups and sign peace agreements with them in an effort to resolve the persistent crisis.
While the peace plan has largely failed as criminals have taken advantage of ceasefires with the government, Cepeda and Petro have maintained strong support among many because of progressive policies pushed forward under Petro, such as boosting the minimum wage.
Running against Cepeda are Abelardo de la Espriella and Paloma Valencia, who have vowed to come down on armed groups with a heavier hand.
De la Espriella — a bombastic lawyer known as “The Tiger” — has particularly gained traction among voters in recent weeks for pitching himself as an outsider keen on emulating the heavy-handed tactics used in El Salvador’s war on gangs, which sharply reduced gang violence but fueled accusations of human rights abuses.
Valencia is considered the political protege of Colombia's former president and strongman Álvaro Uribe, who governed from 2002 to 2010 with strong support from the United States and whose government beat back FARC rebels in an offensive that took a massive civilian toll.
Both de la Espriella and Valencia have touted their affinity for U.S. President Donald Trump even as he has taken a more aggressive stance toward Latin America than any U.S. president in decades and has pressured nations like Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico to more forcefully crack down on criminal groups.
If no candidate wins at least 50% of the vote — something extremely rare in Colombia — the two top vote-getters will face a runoff in June.
Maria Eugenia, a 57-year-old seamstress who was stitching a pair of jeans on Friday in downtown Bogotá, Colombia's capital, said she welcomed an all-out offensive on an expanding slate of criminal groups, regardless of the human cost.
While she approved of Petro’s pushes to improve the country's medical infrastructure, she said she was voting for de la Espriella because violence in rural areas of the country has gotten out of hand. She said negotiating peace pacts was simply “rewarding” armed groups.
“Of course, whenever you come down with a heavy hand, there’s always going to be debate,” she said. “But some people are going to have to fall to clean up what needs to be cleaned.”
Others, like Acevedo, the sociologist strolling out of a polling station on Sunday with packs of other voters, said a security crackdown like the one promoted by de la Espriella would only be returning to past military campaigns that he said only reinforced Colombia's cycle of violence.
He said he planned to vote for Cepeda, adding that while the government hasn't done a perfect job — failing to pass ambitious reforms and follow through on promises to reduce violence — it was better to continue pushing forward with their political coalition's efforts to take a different approach in addressing the country's violence.
He added that his main critique of Petro's administration was the power grabs made by criminal groups as they negotiated with the government. He said he hoped that if Cepeda won, he would strike a better balance between negotiating peace and maintaining control over those groups.
“We're a country that has lived through 60 years of conflict,” Acevedo said. “The danger here is that we return to the times where everyone is saying that the only way to solve our problems is with bullets and more war.”
Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
A voter marks a ballot during the presidential election in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, May 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Supporters of presidential candidate Ivan Cepeda of the ruling Historic Pact coalition gather outside the polling station where he voted during the presidential election in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, May 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Presidential candidate Ivan Cepeda of the ruling Historic Pact coalition gestures to supporters after voting during the presidential election in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, May 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Voters check polling information during the presidential election in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, May 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
President Gustavo Petro shows a ballot during the presidential election in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, May 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Voters line up at a polling station during the presidential election in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, May 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella of the Defenders of the Motherland movement depart a polling station after voting during the presidential election in Barranquilla, Colombia, Sunday, May 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)
Soldiers patrol as voters arrive at a polling station during the presidential election in Barranquilla, Colombia, Sunday, May 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)
Electoral workers set up a voting center in preparation for Sunday's presidential election in Bogota, Colombia, Friday, May 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
A man rides his motorcycle past the ruins of homes destroyed five months earlier in an attack by dissidents of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, in Buenos Aires, Cauca, Colombia, Wednesday, May 20, 2026.(AP Photo/Santiago Saldarriaga)
Presidential candidate Sen. Paloma Valencia of the Democratic Center party waves supporters during a campaign rally in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)
Presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella of the Defenders of the Motherland movement and his running mate Jose Manuel Restrepo, left, raise their fit from behind a bullet proof booth during a campaign rally in Barranquilla, Colombia, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Sen. Ivan Cepeda, presidential candidate of the ruling Historic Pact coalition, speaks to supporters during a campaign rally in Bogota, Colombia, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)