Overview
- President José María Balcázar said the fighter jet purchase could not be halted and that the Finance Ministry had to make an advance payment, calling the deal a commitment already in place.
- La República’s fact-check said that claim is false, citing a U.S. embassy statement that the contract signature came after Balcázar publicly announced a postponement.
- The U.S. ambassador said a technical signing occurred between the Peruvian Air Force and Lockheed Martin, which contradicts the president’s account of when the process became irreversible.
- Balcázar linked the secrecy of the process to a prior administration, yet records show he signed the decree that labeled the purchase a military secret and allowed direct negotiation without an open bid.
- Reporting says offers from France’s Dassault and Sweden’s Saab were not evaluated, which raises oversight questions that could shape how the next government reviews the contract and any payments.