The Peruvian president, Pedro Castillo, announced this Nov. 10th that the presidential jet will be put up for sale and that the resources obtained will be used for the health and education of children in Peru.
It is not the first time that a Peruvian president announces the sale of the presidential jet, a Boeing 737-528, acquired in 1995 during the government of Alberto Fujimori.
According to elcomercio, in 2007, the former president Alan García announced the sale of the presidential plane, questioning the trips during the government of Alejandro Toledo due to the «party plane» scandal.
However, after two unsuccessful attempts, the Ministry of Defense in 2008 canceled the sale.
On the first occasion, the Private Investment Promotion Agency (Proinversión) put the plane out to tender with a base price of $18 million and on a second occasion, it reduced the amount to $15 million.
It is important to mention that the presidential jet, the Boeing 737-528, is under the control of the Peruvian Air Force (FAP).
It is called a “presidential jet” because of its aircraft model and because it is available to be used to transport the Peruvian president.
However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, this plane has also transported doctors and medicines around Peru and carried out humanitarian flights to mobilize health personnel.
Likewise, the Peruvian president, Pedro Castillo, also announced that he will sign a new law that will prohibit public officials to travel in first class.
The head of state made these announcements during his presentation on his first 100 days in office in the city of Ayacucho.
Similar Cases in Latin America
In recent years, other Latin American presidents have also announced the sale of presidential planes.
In Mexico, the sale of the presidential plane “José María Morelos y Pavón”, a Boeing 787-8, was a campaign promise made by Andrés Manuel López Obrador because he considered it an “excessive luxury” and a “corruption symbol”.
In Ecuador, the government of Guillermo Lasso authorized in August the direct sale of the presidential aircraft Legacy EMB-135 BJ. The plane was acquired under the management of Rafael Correa. In 2019, when Lenín Moreno was president, the aircraft was also put up for sale.
In Argentina, in 2000, the Argentinian former president Fernando de la Rúa, tried to sell, without success, the Tango 01, a Boeing 757-200 acquired during the Carlos Menem government.
