TORONTO, JULY 21, 2002 (Zenit.org).- Many Mexicans will skip World Youth Day in order to stay home and greet John Paul II when he visits their country at the end of July, WYD organizers say.

For now, 3,800 Mexicans are among the 25,000 Latin Americans signed up for World Youth Day. The Pope will travel to Mexico City on July 30 from Guatemala. The next day, he will canonize Juan Diego and two other Indians.

Colombia and El Salvador each will send some 1,200 youths to WYD. Cuba will send 200 youths.

Others tallies say 975 will travel from Ecuador, 950 from Chile, 825 from Argentina, 700 from Venezuela, 600 from the Dominican Republic, 550 from Paraguay, 500 from Puerto Rico, 400 from Honduras, and 250 from Nicaragua.

The largest group among those registered is that of the United States, with 55,000 representatives. Italy is sending 20,000, and Spain 8,000. Still unknown is how many Canadians will attend.