LatinNews Daily - 27 April 2026

Peru: On 22 April the US ambassador to Peru, Bernie Navarro, announced on social media that Peru had “fulfilled its commitment” to purchase US F-16 fighter jets, following a week of tension and uncertainty surrounding the deal. The agreement was also announced by Peru’s Prime Minister Luis Arroyo, who stated that: “Regarding the acquisition of F-16 planes, it is important to have new equipment and strengthen our Armed Forces. That is why the National Security and Defence Council (Cosedena) approved the acquisition of these aircraft for the Peruvian Air Force.” Peru’s economy and finance ministry (MEF) also confirmed it had made an initial transfer of US$462m for the fighter jets, as part of a deal which is worth a total of US$3.42bn. The deal had been plunged into doubt last week, when on 17 April interim President José María Balcázar cancelled the signing ceremony, declaring in an interview with news outlet Exitosa that the decision to purchase the fighter jets should be left to the next government. This triggered a warning from Navarro, who posted on social media that: “If you deal with the U.S. in bad faith and undermine U.S. interests, rest assured, I, on behalf of [President Donald] Trump and his administration, will use every available tool to protect and promote the prosperity and security of the United States and our region.” The crisis also led to the resignations of Peru’s defence minister, Carlos Díaz, and foreign minister, Hugo de Zela, on 22 April, with Díaz stating that Balcázar’s actions “could compromise the country’s interests and generate significant consequences”. The US embassy in Lima also provided a definitive timeline of events, detailing that on 14 April defence company Lockheed Martin was notified of its selection to fulfil the deal, with a signing being scheduled for 17 April, but “the United States learned that the signing had been postponed via national radio”, before ultimately “a technical signing between the authorized parties took place on April 20, 2026, with the full knowledge of the highest levels of the Peruvian government.”

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