New president cancels purchase of helicopters

President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said yesterday he will cancel the pending purchase by Mexico’s navy of eight armed Lockheed Martin MH-60R helicopters from the US government. Lopez Obrador mentioned nixing the planned US$1.2 billion deal as an example of extensive cost-cutting measures his government will undertake. ‘‘That purchase is going to be cancelled because we can’t make that expense,’’ he said during a wideranging news conference.