The torch was lit during an opening ceremony commencing Fuerzas Comando, July 16, 2018, at the Instituto Superior Policial, Panama. (Photo: U.S. Army Sgt. Alexis Velez)The opening ceremony for the 14th Fuerzas Comando (FC) exercise kicked off the Special Operations Forces competition July 16 at the Instituto Superior Policial, in Panama. Military and police Special Operations Forces from Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States compete for the 2018 Fuerzas Comando title in Panama City, Panama, from July 16-26. FC is an annual multinational Special Operations Forces skills competition sponsored by U.S. Southern Command and hosted in 2018 by Panama’s Ministry of Public Security. Through friendly competition, FC promotes interoperability and military-to-military relationships, increases training knowledge, and improves regional security.