Sawt Falasteen - Top Peru ministers quit in protest over stalled US fighter jet deal

The ministers said the deal had already been signed and that to cast doubt on it now jeopardized Peru's reputation.

Their resignations deepen instability gripping the South American country, after a recent election to choose the country's ninth president in a decade descended into chaos.

No candidate emerged with an outright majority, meaning a runoff election will be held June 7.

Interim president Jose Maria Balcazar said Tuesday he would leave it up to the winner of the runoff to finalize the agreement.

Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela told RPP radio he stood down "because the political decision made by Mr Balcazar endangers our country and undermines its credibility."

He claimed the contracts for the F-16s had been signed on Monday and that an initial payment was due on Wednesday.

Defense Minister Carlos Diaz gave similar reasons for his resignation.

He said the purchase of jets was not political but "for the security and defense of the nation."

Balcazar, who replaced a previous interim leader who was impeached, said instead on Tuesday that there was "no purchase yet."

His term ends on July 28.

- US warning -

The US ambassador to Peru, businessman Bernardo Navarro, last week issued a warning widely believed to relate to the deal.

"If you deal with the US in bad faith and undermine US interests, rest assured, I, on behalf of @POTUS Trump and his administration, will use every available tool to protect and promote the prosperity and security of the United States and our region," he wrote on X.

In October 2024, Peru announced that it would renew its aging air defense fleet with the purchase of state-of-the-art fighter jets.

A state evaluation committee last year chose the F-16s over rival bids from France's Rafale and Sweden's Gripens, citing technical and geopolitical criteria.

Peru currently has 12 Mirage 2000 aircraft, according to defense publications.

Its combat fleet also includes Russian MiG-29s and Belarusian Sukhoi Su-27s, most of which are inoperative or in reserve.

The deal with the United States has become swept up in a presidential election marred by logistical problems, unsubstantiated fraud allegations and delays to the ballot count.

Ten days after Peruvians voted in the first round, it is still not known who will face off against conservative frontrunner Keiko Fujimori in June's second round.

Ultraconservative former Lima mayor Rafael Lopez Aliaga is locked a tight race with leftist ex-minister Roberto Sanchez for the second runoff spot.

Lopez Aliaga has alleged election fraud and called for the vote to be annulled.

The final results have been delayed by legal challenges.

The election was dominated by calls for a security crackdown to end an extortion epidemic and related wave of contract killings.

L.AbuTayeh--SF-PST