MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Green light for the F16

In spite of mounting political pressure at home and possible consequences with neighbouring countries, Chilean president Ricardo Lagos has given the green light for the purchase of ten Lockheed Martin F 16 fighter bombers. The operation involving 600 million US dollars and to be announced officially in February, puts an end to negotiations that began six years ago and had lately reached the political arena given the slowing down of the Chilean economy and concern over growing unemployment. However it was the recently named Defence Minister, Michelle Bachelet, the first woman to hold the post, that asked President Lagos for a definition on the issue to consolidate links with the Chilean Armed Forces and coming constitutional reforms that will curtail much of their inherited influence from Pinochet's rule. In spite of requests from the ruling coalition of Socialists and Christian Democrats who have asked for a postponement of the decision and even consider investing the funds for "social needs", Mr. Lagos and Mrs. Bachelet, both Socialists, confirmed the purchase and anticipated a similar decision regarding the Chilean Navy's plan to renew the fleet with four German designed frigates, an operation involving over 900 million US dollars. Lately, even the Conservative opposition, --traditionally linked to the Armed Forces--, which received a strong backing in the recent legislative elections declared that it would support a presidential decision to postpone the F 16s purchase. Apparently Mr. Lagos took into account the fact that his personal public opinion standing remains steady at 50%, while the ruling coalition's is only 30% and political parties in general only 20%. Reliable Defence Ministry sources added that when Chile is rounding up a bilateral free trade agreement with the United States, expected to be signed in 2002, "it wouldn't sound sensible to postpone or cancel the purchase at last moment". The confirmation was also decided in spite of messages from Perú that president Alejandro Toledo might cancel a scheduled official visit to Chile next March if Mr. Lagos purchases the F 16s. When Peruvian president Toledo took office last year he proposed visiting dignitaries to freez