Colombia’s Special Forces were named the best in the Americas after being crowned champion of Fuerzas Comando 2025 in Ilopango, El Salvador. Colombia finished first in the premier Special Operations competition in Latin America, after 12 years of events at Ilopango Air Base.
The Colombian eight-member team from the army, navy, and air force scored 1,955 points to finish ahead of Mexico (1,812) and host El Salvador (1,663), organizers said. The competition ran Aug. 18–29 and brought together special operations units from 16 countries across Central and South America and the Caribbean.
Colombia led much of the contest, and widened its advantage in the final stages. This is also Colombia’s 10th title in the competition since the tournament began in 2004, although some account call it the 13th.
Colombia’s special forces were measured against the best ones in the Americas
The Fuerzas Comando tournament staged a series of realistic evaluations designed to test the individual skill and unit cohesion of each country’s team of special forces. The tests evaluated skill and unit cohesion through forced marches, obstacle courses, precision shooting, and stimulated rescues. It also staged helicopter insertions and maritime navigation in Zodiac boats.
Colombia’s special forces credited their success to months of preparation, beginning in September 2024 at the Grupo Aéreo del Oriente, which included endurance training, weapons drills, hostile-environment maneuvers, boat navigation, and airborne operations. “Juntos somos Fuerzas Comando,” the event motto read, as a concurrent senior leadership seminar brought regional special operations commanders together to discuss transnational threats. The competition is sponsored by U.S. Southern Command and executed by Special Operations Command South in partnership with the Salvadoran armed forces.
Organizers said the contest promotes interoperability and military-to-military ties across the hemisphere while providing a venue to share tactics and strengthen cooperation against shared threats such as drug trafficking, terrorism, and organized crime. Colombia’s performance, and its depth across services, was highlighted by U.S. Southern Command officials and regional press as a reaffirmation of the country’s standing in special operations in the Americas.