Kaibiles

The Kaibiles are a special operations wing of the Armed Forces of Guatemala. They specialize in jungle warfare tactics and counter insurgency operations. Since 1974, more than 1,250 soldiers have graduated from the international training programme, which has a duration of eight weeks. Of this number, 85% were Guatemalan soldiers. The corps' soldiers are distinguished from regular troops by maroon berets with patches bearing a blazing sword. Its motto, inspired by Henri de la Rochejaquelein, is: "If I advance, follow me. If I stop, urge me on. If I retreat, kill me."

On 5 December 1974, Guatemala's military government created its Commando School (Escuela de Comandos). Three months later it renamed it the Kaibil Special Operations Training Centre (Centro de Adiestramiento y Operaciones Especiales Kaibil). The name "Kaibil" is derived from Kayb'il B'alam (Kaibil Balam), a Mam indigenous leader who evaded capture by the Spanish conquistadors under Pedro de Alvarado. Initially, the Kaibil Centre was located on two estates, El Infierno ("Hell") and La Pólvora ("Gunpowder") in the municipality of Melchor de Mencos, Petén department. On 12 January 1989, it was moved to the former headquarters of Military Zone 23, in Poptún, Petén.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the Kaibil Centre's mission is to train and develop elite commando forces: "To select, by means of arduous, difficult training under physical and mental pressure, members of the army capable of engaging in commando operations." Recruitment is voluntary. However, several physical and psychological tests are required before entering. The training is given twice a year and lasts 60 days. Only 64 participants are allowed per training period, not older than 28 years of age. No more than 10 have graduated on a single period. Members of foreign military forces are sometimes selected to participate in training. The commandos are trained in guerrilla warfare, counter guerrilla operations, military behaviour, map reading, psychological preparation, military intelligence and counter intelligence. Their training includes a special hand to hand combat system known as Temv K'a (which means "Hands of Storm"), communications, survival techniques, obstacle courses, military hiking, special weapons, demolitions and emergency medical training. This includes aerial operations, day and night navigation, camp setup and security, evasion, escape, interventions and ambushes. Training is extremely physically and mentally demanding, and takes place during both daytime and nighttime. Sleep is permitted for no longer than three hours a day, but only if the right is earned. The right to eat must also be earned; before being allowed to eat, soldiers must successfully climb a rope, do five pull ups, ten push ups and run two miles in 18 minutes or less wearing full combat gear, then duck walk to the mess hall, after which they are given 30 seconds to eat. The first stage of training, which lasts 21 days, consists of theory instructions and practical military training, where the military and morale levels of a candidate are tested. It is followed by hard military training in the jungle, which includes instruction in jungle warfare as well as demolition and detection and deactivation of landmines, scuba diving, waterborne operations, construction of improvised training, SERE training, basic air mobile techniques, small unit patrols, react to contact, and ambush training. In addition, cadets are exposed to prisoner of war camp situations and survival courses. During the last stage, they are trained to eat "anything that moves", including snakes and ants, as well as roots, to collect dew drops from leaves, as well as how to execute annihilation attacks, intelligence maneuvers, and penetration into enemy territory. During this stage, candidates must patrol through thorn filled brush wearing nothing but underwear, roll around in thorns to fortify the body to pain,

Even though in the past they were meant to be an anti guerrilla unit, today they are oriented towards anti terrorism, anti kidnapping and anti narcotics efforts, in line with current needs.

Currently there are Kaibiles stationed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of the United Nations MONUSCO peacekeeping force. On 23 January 2006, a unit of 80 Kaibiles failed in an attempt to capture Vincent Otti, the deputy commander of Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army, in Congo's Garamba National Park. Eight Kaibiles and at least fifteen guerrillas were killed in the resulting gunfight.

More recently, it has been alleged, some former members of the Kaibiles have formed relationships with the Los Zetas drug cartel. Los Zetas are a group of elite Mexican paratroopers and intelligence operatives who deserted their Special Air Mobile Force Group in 1999 and have since been hired as "enforcers" by the drugs traffickers of the Gulf Cartel. However, Los Zetas now operates as an independent organization since its rupture from the Gulf Cartel in early 2010.