ASUNCION (Reuters) – Paraguay is negotiating with Brazil to buy six Embraer Super Tucano A-29 fighter jets for $96 million as part of its fight against drug trafficking, Defense Minister Oscar Gonzalez said on Thursday.
The deal is part of a $500 million package that the South American government is making available for defense and security projects, Gonzalez told reporters.
“We aim to close the deal this year,” Gonzalez said, adding that the agreement, negotiated between the Paraguayan and Brazilian governments, will be used to counter “new threats” from drug trafficking and organized crime.
The government issued a decree on Thursday approving the operation without a public tender, but Gonzalez said the process still needs to be approved by Congress.
A few days earlier, nearby Uruguay had already announced that it was in “advanced” negotiations over the purchase of six of the same Embraer fighter jets to strengthen its armed forces.
(Reporting by Daniela Desantis; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Alexander Villegas and Aida Pelaez-Fernandez)
