Peru’s Defence Minister, Carlos Diaz, stepped down on Wednesday after interim President Jose Balcazar postponed a significant agreement to acquire F-16 fighter jets from the United States. Balcazar, who is scheduled to leave office in July, explained that the purchase would be deferred to avoid obligating the incoming administration to a substantial defence contract.
The South American nation has been actively seeking to modernize its outdated air force, which currently operates Mirage 2000 and MiG-29 fighter jets procured during the 1980s and 1990s. The plan involves acquiring a total of 24 new jets, with the initial phase consisting of 12 aircraft.
Among the contenders for the contract is the US defence giant Lockheed Martin. The US State Department had already approved the potential sale of F-16 jets and associated support to Peru in September of the previous year. The deal, valued at approximately $3.42 billion, also includes participation from General Electric Aerospace and RTX Corporation.
Notably, local reports indicated that Balcazar canceled a signing ceremony for the F-16 agreement at the last moment on April 17, mere hours before it was expected to occur, due to concerns about committing the next government. However, officials have not officially confirmed the scheduling of such a ceremony.
The US Embassy in Lima has yet to issue any statement regarding these developments.
Diaz, who took office on March 17, was also scheduled to appear before the Defence Committee of Congress to clarify the reasons behind the suspension of the deal before tendering his resignation.
