Washington has warned Peru of unspecified consequences if negotiations over the purchase of 24 F-16 fighter jets collapse, with the US ambassador to Lima, Bernie Navarro, posting on X that he would use "all means at his disposal" to salvage the $3.5 billion contract. Peru's interim president, José Maria Balcazar, has placed the talks on hold, saying a commitment of that scale should be left to the incoming government set to take office in July. The standoff reflects broader US efforts under the Trump administration to reassert influence across South America and counter China's growing footprint in the region, a push that critics say has led Navarro — a close ally of Secretary of State Marco Rubio — to overstep the traditional boundaries of his diplomatic role.