Peruvian ministers resign following conflict over F-16 fighter jet procurement

Peru is facing a political and diplomatic crisis after the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense resigned on Wednesday. The resignations follow a dispute with interim President Jose Maria Balcazar regarding the purchase of F-16 fighter jets from the American company Lockheed Martin. President Balcazar had publicly requested to postpone the purchase until the next president takes office in late July following the June elections. However, the Ministry of Economy announced late Wednesday that 462 million dollars had already been transferred to Lockheed Martin as an initial installment. The outgoing Foreign Minister Hugo de Sela and Defense Minister Carlos Dias criticized the delay, noting that a contract was signed on Monday and arguing that the acquisition is a strategic security necessity. The dispute has prompted warnings from the U.S. Ambassador to Peru, Bernardo Navarro, regarding the implications of negotiating in bad faith. Balcazar, who took office in February, remains the eighth head of state in Peru within the last decade.