Special Operations Command

Special Operations Command [Comando de Operaciones Especiales] is a military unit trained and equipped with the technical means to carry out special missions, in warlike and non - warlike environments, it forms part of the high combative units of the Nicaraguan Army and constitutes the main Tactical - Operative Unit for the execution of special operations In any part of the national territory. The moment the Head of this unit is an Infantry Colonel.

While the backbone of the battalion are the three detachments of Special Forces, there is also a squad of direct action against terrorism, a platoon of supporting arms with a small number of BTR-60P vehicles, ZPU-23-2 anti-aircraft guns, and anti-aircraft missiles Portable (manPadS). Although COE does not count organic helicopters, the operations of the COE have priority for the use of these means.

It can act independently and in joint operations with the Air Force and Naval Force. It is part of the Rapid Reaction Force of the Nicaraguan Army in the context of the Conference of the Central American Armed Forces, to combat terrorism, drug trafficking and related activities. Among its important missions is the carrying out of special actions in the interests of national defense.

An important element that contributes to the preparation is the training of officers abroad, through courses given by Spain, France, the United States and Guatemala. In the context of strengthening friendly relations and cooperation with other armed forces, it participates in exchanges with:

• Caribbean maneuvers, with the French Armed Forces.
• Exchange of Training with the French Armed Forces.
• Exercise Against Terrorism "Forces Command".
• Exchange of Experiences with US Armed Forces (Southern Command).
• Multinational Jump of Skydiving "Flying Iguana".
• US National Guard Jumping Festival UU.
• Infantry shooting with infantry weapons with the Wisconsin National Guard.
• Participation in competition of Tire and Swimming with the Armed Forces of Central America in the framework of the CFAC.

In addition, they actively participate as part of the teams of the Nicaraguan Army in military sports competitions and military exercises within the framework of the Confederation of the Armed Forces of Central America (CFAC).

It has the availability of forces and means to fulfill the new roles and missions that bring new national and international vicissitudes and threats of a warlike and non-warlike nature contained in military doctrine such as:

• Combating drug trafficking and related activities.
• Illicit arms trafficking.
• Assist with the National Police to combat organized crime in the countryside and sustain the country's social stability.
• Assist the population in the occurrence of natural or anthropogenic phenomena.
• To support the tasks of conservation of the environment.
• To support the institutions of the State and the citizenship in works of health and education.

Sometimes it is said that the troops who attended the Basic Infantry Training School (EeBI for its acronym in Spanish), created by Somoza in the 1970s, were the Special Forces of The Somocista National Guard. The truth is that they were not. Before the Sandinista Revolution, the government of Somoza decided to create the army of Nicaragua and separate it from the National Guard. The EeBI was to be the nucleus of the new army. Many of its members were highly trained, who completed courses Command, Ranger and Skydiving, in addition to receiving training in hand-to-hand combat by foreign instructors. In the eeBI ended up being the strategic reserve of The National Guard for the last three years of the conflict, by rescuing several facilities Of the National Guard.

Special Forces were established for the first time by the Ministry of the Interior (MInInT, for its acronym in Spanish) and not by the Army. The army's mission was defending the country from external threats, while the mission of MInInT was to defend against internal enemies, including armed rebellion. MInInT established the Special Troops Pablo Úbeda (TPU) in July 1979.

In 1980 the army Sandinista created the Units of strategic exploration. In 1982, Lieutenant First, Miguel Amateur Angel and 32 exploration cadets founded The Pedro Altamirano Troops (TPa) in Spanish). The Lieutenant was appointed As its first commander. TPa received training and advice of the Soviet Union and the German Democratic Republic (RDA, for its acronym in Spanish). The main focus was to do deep explorations by land, air or sea. Information they collected was for the direction of military Intelligence. Their main missions were the capture of prisoners and documents for the exploitation of intelligence. Although they had the capacity and, sometimes, carried out direct-action missions, it was not the main mission. The TPs also maintained a section Of light armored personnel carriers for conduct of in-depth exploration missions by roads and tracks.

It was decided to create new units known as Small Forces Units Specials (PUFe, for its acronym in Spanish). Initially, a first Company of 120 men was sent to Cuba to receive training in Vietnamese special techniques at the Special Troops school in The Cacho, from which they graduated on October 26, 1985. This date is considered the day of birth Of the special forces of the army which continues to be celebrated to date. A second Company of 120 men was sent to school in Cacho, Cuba, and soon a third company was trained. Many went to Cuba, but others were trained in Nicaragua by Cuban or Nicaraguan instructors. Basically, the PUFe were a battalion and this battalion took the name of Julio Buitrago, urban fighter who died During the Sandinista Revolution. Nevertheless they were more commonly known by the acronyms PUFe.

The Contra called the troop of The PUFe the "charraleros" and respected them more than any other EPS troop, due to all the chaos that they caused in the areas of the rear in Honduras and Costa Rica. The PUFs distinguished themselves in a series of actions in which the purpose was to destroy, or at a minimum, to disrupt the camps of the Contra on the other side of the border with Honduras.

From 1991 to 1994 the army was assigned to the suppression of the "rearmados." These were groups of former Contras and ex-Sandinista soldiers who were dissatisfied with the way they were treated during the demobilization process. During this Time, the JFe led the effort to convince these groups to be disarmed. and if not to persuaded, to fight them.

Little by little, the COE began to receive other doctrinal influences since the old doctrines of the Cold War of Vietnam, Cuba, the Soviet and the RDA, began to lose relevance. The Spanish influence was the first, but France and the United States also gave instruction in Counter-terrorism and then, in the fight against against drug trafficking.