Peru Ministers Resign as President Stalls $3.5 Billion F-16 Fighter Jet Deal Amid US Pressure

Top Peruvian defense and foreign ministers resigned on Tuesday after President Dina Boluarte indefinitely postponed a $3.5 billion deal to acquire 24 F-16 fighter jets from the United States, according to government sources and official statements. Defense Minister Jorge Chávez and Foreign Minister Javier González-Olaechea submitted their resignations following a cabinet meeting in which Boluarte informed ministers that the acquisition would not proceed during her administration, citing the need to prioritize social spending and institutional stability. The decision came after weeks of mounting pressure from the U.S. Government to finalize the agreement, which had been negotiated under former President Pedro Castillo and approved by Peru’s Congress in 2022. Boluarte announced the postponement in a televised address on Monday evening, stating that the purchase would be deferred to the next government elected in the 2026 general elections. She emphasized that current fiscal resources must be directed toward health, education, and poverty reduction programs, particularly in underserved Andean and Amazonian regions. The president added that national security would be maintained through existing air capabilities and bilateral cooperation agreements. The U.S. State Department had previously urged Peru to move forward with the deal, framing it as a cornerstone of regional security cooperation and a counterweight to growing Chinese and Russian influence in Latin America. In late April, U.S. Southern Command chief General Laura Richardson met with Boluarte and defense officials in Lima to discuss the acquisition, according to a Pentagon readout of the meeting. No public statement was issued by the U.S. Embassy in Lima following the president’s announcement. Chávez, a retired army general appointed to the defense portfolio in December 2022, had been a vocal advocate for the F-16 purchase, arguing that Peru’s aging fleet of Mirage 2000 fighters required urgent replacement to maintain air sovereignty. González-Olaechea, a diplomat with prior service at the Organization of American States, had supported the deal as part of a broader strategy to strengthen defense ties with Washington. Neither minister provided public commentary upon resigning. Boluarte accepted their resignations via presidential decree published in the official gazette El Peruano on Tuesday morning. No replacements have been named as of Wednesday afternoon, and the presidency has not indicated when fresh appointments will be made. The postponement leaves the fate of the F-16 contract uncertain. While the agreement remains legally valid under Peruvian law, its execution depends on future congressional approval and funding allocations. Defense analysts note that the next administration would need to renegotiate pricing, delivery timelines, and offset provisions with Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor, as the original 2022 framework assumed delivery between 2026 and 2030. Boluarte’s government continues to face low approval ratings amid persistent protests over the cost of living and perceptions of governmental illegitimacy following Castillo’s removal in 2022. The president has not ruled out seeking re-election in 2026, though her party holds no representation in Congress.