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Two cabinet-level ministers in Peru have resigned after interim President Jose Maria Balcazar announced he would defer a decision to buy F-16 fighter jets from the United States company Lockheed Martin.<\/p>\n
Defence Minister Carlos Diaz and Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela cited their opposition to the move in their resignation letters on Wednesday.<\/p>\n list of 3 items<\/span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n \u201cA strategic decision has been taken in the area of national security with which I have a fundamental disagreement,\u201d Diaz wrote.<\/p>\n The fighter jets have long been a source of controversy in Peru, where critics have questioned whether the purchase is a sign of deference to US President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n Last week, the left-wing Balcazar \u2014 Peru\u2019s ninth president in a decade \u2014 announced he would leave the decision about whether to invest $3.5bn in the purchase to the country\u2019s next elected leader.<\/p>\n Balcazar himself had only been in office since February, selected by Congress to replace the latest in a string of impeached presidents.<\/p>\n Last week, he abruptly cancelled a signing ceremony for the F-16 deal, which would have seen an initial batch of 12 new planes added to Peru\u2019s ageing air force. The country aims to acquire 24 jets overall.<\/p>\n Balcazar explained he was not pulling out of the deal, but that he felt the next presidential administration should be involved in making such a hefty financial commitment.<\/p>\n \u201cFor us to commit such a large sum of money to the incoming government would be a poor practice for a transitional government,\u201d Balcazar said at the time.<\/p>\n \u201cWe remain firm in respecting all agreements that may have been reached at the level of the armed forces, or in this case, with the relevant ministry of the air force, to carry out the corresponding negotiations.\u201d<\/p>\n His decision, however, was met with pushback, both domestically and from the US. The US ambassador to Peru, Bernie Navarro, responded on April 17 with a warning posted on social media.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you deal with the U.S. in bad faith and undermine U.S. interests, rest assured, I, on behalf of Critics of the deal, however, have argued that Peru has received more competitive offers from French and Swedish aircraft makers like Dassault Aviation and Saab AB, respectively.<\/p>\n But Navarro on Wednesday denied that the US had been outcompeted. In a statement<\/a>, he wrote that the \u201cbid was made at a high level of competitiveness\u201d and called the plane fleet \u201cthe most technically advanced fighter jets ever built\u201d.<\/p>\n He also denounced the delay as an unreasonable stoppage on a deal he characterised as already signed.<\/p>\n \u201cIn planning the delivery of a product of this calibre, there is no such thing as an inconsequential delay,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery delay results in significant costs. The same package cannot be available in a couple of months, or even weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n The decision to spend the $3.5bn on 24 fighter jets was made in 2024 under former President Dina Boluarte. The purchase was to be financed by $2bn in domestic borrowing in 2025 and $1.5bn in 2026.<\/p>\n In September, the US Department of Defense approved a potential sale of F-16s to Peru.<\/p>\n But Boluarte was removed from office in October, and her successor, Jose Jeri, lasted just four months in office before he too was impeached.<\/p>\n The instability in Peru\u2019s presidency comes at a time when the Trump administration is seeking greater influence over Latin America, as part of what the US president has called his \u201cDonroe Doctrine\u201d.<\/p>\n Already, the Trump administration has pushed Peru to distance itself from Chinese investment. In February, for instance, it publicly protested against Chinese ownership in the Pacific port of Chancay.<\/p>\n \u201cPeru could be powerless to oversee Chancay, one of its largest ports, which is under the jurisdiction of predatory Chinese owners,\u201d the Trump administration wrote<\/a> in a social media post.<\/p>\n \u201cWe support Peru\u2019s sovereign right to oversee critical infrastructure in its own territory. Let this be a cautionary tale for the region and the world: cheap Chinese money costs sovereignty.\u201d<\/p>\nRecommended Stories <\/h2>\n
[President] Trump and his administration, will use every available tool to protect and promote the prosperity and security of the United States and our region,\u201d Navarro wrote<\/a>.<\/p>\n