Lockheed Martin, the US defense giant, has confirmed Peru’s purchase of 12 F-16 fighter jets amid reports that the aircraft have been put on hold by the interim President.
“We are proud that the most advanced F-16 ever produced will help protect Peru’s national sovereignty while strengthening the enduring partnership between our nations,” Lockheed Martin’s vice president said in a statement.
Peru’s foreign and defense ministers quit on Wednesday after the country’s interim president, Jose Maria Balcazar, announced he was putting the deal on hold until after the presidential elections in June. The two ministers said Balcazar’s decision undermined Peru’s reputation, insisting that the contracts with Lockheed Martin had already been signed.
The total value of the deal has not been made public.
Peru’s economy minister said Wednesday evening he had made a first payment of $462 million to Lockheed Martin.
The US ambassador to Peru, Bernardo Navarro, told Radio Exitosa that Lima had purchased a first squadron of 12 jets, due for delivery from 2029, and that “another 12 will arrive later.”
Milestone Deal
In a statement on X, he confirmed that a “technical signing” of the deal took place on Monday, “with the full knowledge of the highest level of the Peruvian government,” after an earlier signing ceremony was called off at the last minute.
“Today marks a milestone in our 200-year history” of US-Peruvian relations, Navarro said.
In October 2024, Peru said it would renew its aging air defense fleet by purchasing 24 state-of-the-art fighter jets for an estimated $3.5 billion. The South American country currently has 12 Mirage 2000 jets, according to defense publications, as well as Russian MiG-29s and Belarusian Sukhoi Su-27s, most of which are inoperative or in reserve.
Balcazar said he halted the defense deal to ensure that public funds were “used appropriately.”
The deal became swept up in a presidential election marred by logistical problems, unsubstantiated allegations of fraud, and delays in the ballot count.
Peru Confirms Election Runoff Date
Peru’s electoral tribunal on Friday rejected calls for a new election in Lima following irregularities during the April 12 vote and confirmed a presidential runoff will be held June 7.
Ultra-conservative candidate and former mayor of Lima, Rafael Lopez Aliaga — who is still vying to be on the June ballot — had requested a new election in Peru’s capital, arguing that problems at polling stations there had prevented thousands of his supporters from voting.
In a statement on social media, the National Jury of Elections (JNE) said the unanimous decision to move forward without redoing Lima’s vote came “after a technical-legal analysis and in view of reports issued by competent bodies.”
Aliaga accused JNE of tarnishing the electoral process and urged President Roberto Burneo to intervene.
Earlier Friday, Peruvian police raided the home of Piero Corvetto, the former head of the country’s electoral authority who resigned this week in the wake of a chaotic presidential election.
The dawn raid in Lima took place simultaneously with searches of premises linked to other former officials of the Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE), as well as representatives of a company tasked with transporting election equipment, police said.
“The investigation, focused on the alleged crime of aggravated collusion, aims to uncover illicit agreements that may have compromised state resources,” police said in a statement.
Corvetto resigned Tuesday, hours before he was scheduled to be questioned by prosecutors over the April 12 election.
Election day was marred by logistical problems in the capital, preventing tens of thousands of people from voting until the following day, and the ballot count has been painfully slow.
Final results from the first round will not be released until mid-May. The top two candidates will then meet in a June 7 runoff.
With 95 percent of ballots counted, right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori easily qualified.
She will face either leftist Roberto Sanchez or Aliaga, with Sanchez narrowly ahead in the latest tally.
The European Union’s observer mission cited “serious shortcomings” during the election, but said it had not found “objective evidence” of fraud.
- By Agence France-Presse (AFP)
- Edited by ET Online Desk
