The Latin American Report # 665

Argentine President Javier Milei presented with great fanfare this Saturday the first batch of F-16 fighter jets that his government acquired from Denmark, following approval from Washington due to the U.S. origin of the critical technology. "From today, each and every one of us will be a little safer," said Milei at the official unveiling ceremony for the first six aircraft, which arrived at the Río Cuarto base yesterday Friday from Skrydstrup Air Base in Denmark, with successive stopovers in Spain and Brazil. "With this important investment in military weaponry we are going to substantially strengthen our air force," he added.

When the agreement for this purchase, valued at just over 301 million dollars payable in five annual installments, was finalized in April of last year, I commented on the contradiction between that operation and the policy of strong contractions in social spending advanced by Javier Milei's Pink House. That is, in a context marked by the mantra phrase "there is no money," and with no credible threats to Argentine national security on the horizon, recovering the supersonic interception capability of the Air Force—lost since 2015 after the decommissioning of the Mirage jets—was a politically displaceable goal in any rational analysis.

The Argentine leader defends the purchase from the realist paradigm of international relations: "It is time to once again discuss the true meaning of the word sovereignty. There is no sovereignty without economic prosperity and without military capabilities to defend that achieved prosperity." The defense ministry, for its part, explained that the refurbished F-16s possess "an advanced electronic warfare system and an unmatched weapons package," which enables them for various warfare functions such as suppression of enemy air defenses, maritime attack, among others.

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Exactly three years ago, the government of Alberto Fernández had ruled out the purchase of fighter jets because the country had to allocate its resources "to more important things," although his own government showed interest in the supersonic JF-17 Thunder Block III jets, of Chinese origin, which according to some people from his political coalition was an option with better financing terms; the latter directly concerned U.S. politicians who equate China with the devil. Other offers considered at the time were the Indian HAL Tejas and the Russian MiG-35.

Blue and red look the same some times

It is interesting to note, in this regard, that the actual approval for the transfer of the Danish fighters was an action by the Tony Blinken-led Foggy Bottom, that is, it occurred prior to the 2023 elections in which Milei emerged victorious. That's why we can say that today's official act in Córdoba crowns a years-long effort, although at that time the JF-17 option was still on the table. So, what the libertarian president did do was finalize that purchase and showcase it as proof of his strategic alignment with the United States, which, as we have already seen, even with the Democrats in power, worked hard to position its technology instead of China's in Argentina. It is an issue with sound bipartisan support.

In fact, Blinken also approved 40 million dollars in financing to help Argentina purchase "U.S. defense articles, training, and services", aimed at ensuring the full operability of the Lockheed Martin F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcon multirole combat aircraft, 25 in total, and "enhances interoperability with U.S. forces," through the Foreign Military Financing program, from which Argentina—a Major Non-NATO Ally—had not benefited since 2003. Then, in October 2024, the State Department approved the "possible Foreign Military Sale" to Argentina of equipment and services to support the operability of the fighters, valued at over 940 million dollars.

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The aforementioned 40 million dollars cover part of the initial payment for the package, which amounts to 560 million dollars, with Buenos Aires covering the rest . Also under discussion is the possibility of Argentina acquiring new F-16C/D Fighting Falcon Block 70/72 models, while, during his visit to the South American country in June, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth applauded the government's decision to acquire Stryker fighting vehicles. Behind all this story is also a reconfiguration of the image of the Armed Forces in the country, in contrast to the complex relationship of this political entity with the left.

Venezuela

In statements to AFP, the head of the Nobel Institute stated that the disputed Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who supports the U.S. military buildup near (i.e., against) her country, will attend the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony that was recently conferred upon her by the organization based in Norway. "Nothing is ever 100-percent sure, but this is as certain as it can possibly be," said the top official to a local radio station.

The Venezuelan Attorney General has stated that Machado will be considered a "fugitive" if she leaves the country, but it would not make sense, in any case, for her to be able to do so without the authorities arresting her first. I have said other times here that I do not believe her whereabouts are unknown to the Venezuelan authorities. Could Machado's departure be an element of a certain agreement between Chavismo and the Trump administration? Milei's presence at the ceremony is also expected.

New drug seizures

In a recent operation, Paraguay's National Anti-Drug Bureau seized about 90 tons of marijuana that had Brazil as its alleged destination, with a potential sales value exceeding 13 million dollars in that market. Agents from Paraguayan security forces intercepted a convoy composed of 14 pickup trucks, three trucks, and two cars loaded with marijuana on a road near a locality close to Brazil, in an action that involved a shootout with those transporting or overseeing the load who tried to flee. One of them died and five were injured.

The Paraguayan government has reinforced operations against organized crime on its border with Brazil following the massacre unleashed by the Rio de Janeiro Government in two favelas controlled by criminal gangs last October. Meanwhile, in Ecuador, authorities reported the seizure of 4.6 tons of drugs on the high seas in an operation that involved the intervention of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Escanaba, and which also resulted in the apprehension of seven Ecuadorian citizens. In the United States, the shipment would have a value of 100 million dollars, and 140 million in Europe.

Guatemala

By the close of the eleventh month of the year, Guatemalans abroad have already sent over 8% more in remittances than those recorded in all of 2024. The total is approaching 23,290 million dollars, while in November alone just over 1,930 million dollars were received. Some experts argue that the cause of this increase is the massive repatriation of dollars by Guatemalans fearful of being deported by the Trump administration, which, together with the Mexican government, had returned about 49,100 migrants to the country by November. It is estimated that over 2 million Guatemalans send remittances to about 1.7 million households.

Honduras

The vote counting process in Honduras remains stalled, not yet reaching 90% of records transmitted through a disputed system managed by a Colombian company, which has been inaccessible to the public since the last Monday following election day. For now, the National Party candidate Nasry Asfura is ahead by less than 20,000 votes compared to his Liberal Party opponent Salvador Nasralla. In addition to the records that have not yet been transmitted, thousands must be processed in special scrutinies for having presented "inconsistencies" or due to technical and other problems that occurred during their transmission from the polling stations. The number of records pending entry (2,571) is similar to those marked with inconsistencies (2,407). By law, the electoral authority has up to 30 days to issue an official declaration announcing the winner of the elections.

This is all for today’s report.