Two months after assuming the presidency, José María Balcázar is suffering his first major political crisis, which has already claimed the Minister of Defense and the Foreign Minister. Last Friday, when everything was ready for the signing of the contract between the Government of Peru and the American company Lockheed Martin to acquire 24 F-16 Block 70 fighter jets, Balcázar suspended the ceremony and postponed the purchase. He commented on a radio that due to the transitional nature of his mandate —it will conclude in July—, it was up to the next government to close that agreement valued at 3.5 billion dollars.
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His stance divided opinions between those who consider it the first sovereign decision of a low-profile president and those who argue that his refusal jeopardizes diplomatic relations with the Donald Trump government. Almost immediately, Bernie Navarro, the United States ambassador to Peru, raised the tone of the discussion with a message on his social media where he indicated that “if you act in bad faith and undermine the interests of the United States” he would use “all available tools to promote the prosperity and security” of the North American giant.
If you negotiate in bad faith with the U.S. and undermine American interests, rest assured that as a representative of the Trump Administration I will use all available tools to protect and promote the prosperity and security of our country and the region.
— Ambassador Navarro (@USAmbPeru) April 17, 2026
The acquisition of fighter jets to renew the fleet of the Peruvian Air Force (FAP) is an operation that began during Dina Boluarte’s administration. She even defended the millionaire gamble in a Message to the Nation, where she maintained that “it was not a useless purchase.” Her successor, José Jerí, continued with the business procedures. In the transition between Jerí and Balcázar, complaints arose from manufacturing companies in Sweden and France, who questioned that the Peruvian Government did not evaluate other bidders on equal terms and unilaterally opted for the American F-16s.
Last Monday, various journalistic sources assured that the contract for the 24 fighter jets to the North American Government had been signed in absolute secrecy, far from the initial pomp. It was even learned that Ambassador Bernie Navarro met with Defense Minister Carlos Díaz. The next day, President José María Balcázar reaffirmed that he had not signed any document and that it was up to the next head of state.
This Wednesday, Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela and Defense Minister Carlos Díaz publicly challenged the president, accusing him of having lied to the nation. “He knew that the two contracts had been signed on Monday the 20th and after that he has been saying that these contracts have not been signed. That is a blatant lie,” said de Zela. Díaz, for his part, said that the contracts were signed by the Peruvian Air Force and the delegation of the American company Lockheed Martin. “It’s already finalized,” he stated. Both submitted their resignations to the Cabinet this morning.
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“As supreme commander of the Armed Forces, on Friday, April 17, President Balcázar announced that the F-16 purchase contract would not be signed. On April 20, 72 hours later, the FAP signed the commercial agreement disregarding the mandate of the head of state. Who acted outside the law?” questioned Ángel Páez, head of the Investigation Unit of the newspaper La República. Indeed, according to what the resigning ministers said, it can be inferred that the acquisition of the fighter jets was completed over and above the presidential investiture.
This afternoon, José María Balcázar, 83, delivered a message to the nation where he denied having falsified information, and admitted that he did not have the final say in the operation. “I have not intervened in those negotiations, so it cannot be said that I lied. What I am saying is that this contract should be respected by the new Government, nothing more. My statements cannot be misrepresented,” he stressed.
However, the president has said that he has not yet authorized the first disbursement for the purchase of the fighter jets, as one must “act prudently and make reasonable purchases.” The priority of the fiscal treasury, he emphasizes, is “to address the needs in drinking water, health, and education.”
The third vice president of Congress, Ilich López, has promoted a motion of censure against Balcázar. “National security is not negotiable. Beyond geopolitical calculations or which country sells the planes to Peru, there is the protection of state secrets and the defense of our national and territorial security,” he communicated.
