Temples in three Spanish-speaking countries of South America have been announced in the past year by President Russell M. Nelson: for Santiago West, Chile; La Paz, Bolivia; and Cusco, Peru.

The locations in Chile and Bolivia were announced in October 2021 general conference, along with 11 other areas. The Peru location was among 17 announced in April 2022 conference.

No specific site plans, building renderings or plans, or groundbreaking dates have been announced for any of the three temples.

Map of temples locations and statuses in Spanish-speaking South America.

Credit: Aaron Thorup, for the Church News

Cusco Peru Temple

• 5th temple in Peru. The first was the Lima Peru Temple, dedicated in 1986, followed by temples in Trujillo (2015) and Arequipa (2019). A second temple in Lima, the Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple, is under construction after a June 2019 groundbreaking.

Panoramic view of Cusco historic center, Peru

Credit: javarman – stock.adobe.com

• Cusco is in the Andes mountains of southern Peru. The Cusco metropolitan area has a population of almost a half-million, making it the seventh largest in the country. The three largest are Lima, Arequipa and Trujillo.

• The Cusco area is currently in the Arequipa Peru Temple district, which includes 21 stakes in southern Peru and far northern Chile. There are two stakes in Cusco and one in Sicuani to the south. The Cusco stakes were organized in 1985 and 1992.

• Cusco is more than 300 miles north of the Arequipa temple and almost 700 miles southeast of the Lima Peru Temple.

• The first branch in Peru was organized in 1956. The Andes Mission, which became the Peru Lima Mission, was established in 1959. The first Peruvian stake, in Lima, was created in 1970. Peru today has about 625,000 Church members in 112 stakes, 14 missions, 667 wards and 113 branches.

Santiago West Chile Temple

• 4th temple in Chile. The Santiago Chile Temple was dedicated in 1983, followed by the Concepción Chile Temple in 2018. Ground was broken in November 2020 for the Antofagasta Chile Temple.

Santiago, Chile

Credit: stock.adobe.com

• Santiago is the capital of Chile. The Santiago Metropolitan Region has a population of about 7 million, or more than a third of the Chilean population.

• The existing Santiago Chile Temple is in the Providencia area, northeast of the city center; its current temple district comprises 50 stakes. Three of those stakes are in northern Chile, including a stake in Antofagasta, where a temple is under construction.

• The Concepción Chile Temple is about 500 miles south of Santiago; the Concepción temple district comprises 23 stakes. Antofagasta is about 830 miles north of Santiago.

• The first branch in Chile was organized in 1956. The Chilean Mission was organized in 1961 with 12 branches and 1,136 members. The first stake was organized in 1972. Church membership in Chile is now over 600,000 in 10 missions, 74 stakes, 408 wards and 160 branches.

La Paz Bolivia Temple

• 3rd temple in Bolivia. The Cochabamba Bolivia Temple was dedicated in 2000. A temple for Santa Cruz, Bolivia, was announced by President Nelson during October 2020 general conference.

An aerial photo of La Paz, Bolivia on Oct. 21, 2018. President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spoke in La Paz.

Credit: Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

• La Paz is the capital of Bolivia. With a population of more than 800,000, it is the country’s third-largest city. The La Paz and El Alto metropolitan area has about 2 million residents, or about one-sixth of Bolivia’s population.

• The current Cochabamba Bolivia Temple district comprises the 33 stakes in Bolivia. The La Paz and El Alto area has 9 stakes; the first was organized in 1979.

• La Paz is about 235 miles west of Cochabamba and 350 miles east of the Arequipa Peru Temple.

• The first branch in Bolivia was organized in 1964. The Andes South Mission, which became the Bolivia La Paz Mission, was created in 1966. As of the end of 2021, Bolivia had 217,331 Church members, five missions, 208 wards and 63 branches.

More about temples announced around the world

• Learn about areas of recently announced temples in California, Oregon
• Temples announced in 2021 for Idaho, Montana
• Areas of temples announced in Brazil during 2021
• 3 areas in Mexico where temples were announced in 2021
• Temple plans in Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico announced in 2021
• Utah, Nevada cities with announced temples
• European areas where new temples were announced in early 2021
• African areas where new temples were announced during April 2021 general conference