Peru defense and foreign ministers resign over U.S. F-16 jet deal dispute

On 2026-04-23, Peru's Defense Minister Carlos Diaz and Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela resigned after disputing Interim President Jose Balcazar's decision to delay the planned purchase of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets. The resignations followed Balcazar's move to postpone the deal, which he said would defer the financial commitment to the next administration.