Foreign relations of Guatemala

Guatemala has a longstanding claim to a large portion of Belize. The territorial dispute caused problems with the United Kingdom and later with Belize following its 1981 independence from the UK. In December 1989, Guatemala sponsored Belize for permanent observer status in the Organization of American States (OAS). In September 1991 Guatemala recognized Belize's independence and established diplomatic ties, while acknowledging that the boundaries remained in dispute. In anticipation of an effort to bring the border dispute to an end in early 1996, the Guatemalan Congress ratified two long-pending international agreements governing frontier issues and maritime rights.

In early 2000 the Guatemalan Foreign Ministry proposed a border settlement that would transfer more than half of Belize's territory to Guatemala. Following a spate of border incidents, both sides agreed during talks under OAS auspices in November 2000 to confidence-building measures to reduce tensions. They followed that with an agreement on opening substantive discussions on the dispute. Both Guatemala and Belize are participating in the confidence-building measures, including the Guatemala-Belize Language Exchange Project.

In September 2010, the Guatemalan Congress overwhelmingly gave its approval for a referendum to be held; giving the people of Guatemala a say in whether or not that country's claim to Belize should be taken to the International Court of Justice. Under the special agreement (compromise) signed in December 2008 by Belize and Guatemala it was agreed that if the people of both nations approved, by way of a simultaneous referendum on the same day, that the dispute would proceed to the ICJ. The outcome of any ruling handed down by the ICJ will be final and binding, regardless of in whose favor the ruling is handed down.

• Canada has an embassy in Guatemala City.^[15]
• Guatemala has an embassy in Ottawa and a consulates-general in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.

• Chile has an embassy in Guatemala City.
• Guatemala has an embassy in Santiago de Chile.

• Colombia has an embassy in Guatemala City.
• Guatemala has an embassy in Bogotá.

• Costa Rica has an embassy in Guatemala City.
• Guatemala has an embassy in San José.

• Cuba has an embassy in Guatemala City.
• Guatemala has an embassy in Havana.

• El Salvador has an embassy in Guatemala City.^[16]
• Guatemala has an embassy in San Salvador.^[17]

Diplomatic relations between Mexico and Guatemala began in 1838 after the dissolution of the Federal Republic of Central America.

• Guatemala has an embassy in Mexico City and consulates-general in Cancún, Monterrey, Oaxaca City, San Luis Potosí, Tapachula, Tenosique, Tijuana, and Tuxtla Gutiérrez; consulates in Acayucan, Ciudad Hidalgo, Comitán and a consular office in Arriaga.^[18]
• Mexico has an embassy in Guatemala City^[19] and consulates in Flores,^[20] Quetzaltenango^[21] and in Tecún Umán.^[22]
• Both countries are members of the Organization of American States, Organization of Ibero-American States, and the Rio Group.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 15 May 1845.

• Guatemala has an embassy in Managua.
• Nicaragua closed its embassy in Guatemala City in 2024.

• Guatemala has an embassy in Panama City.
• Panama has an embassy in Guatemala City.

• Guatemala is accredited to Paraguay from its embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
• Paraguay is accredited to Guatemala from its embassy in Mexico City, Mexico.

• Guatemala has an embassy in Lima.
• Peru has an embassy in Guatemala City.

• Haiti has a diplomatic consulate in Guatemala City.^[23][24]
• Guatemala has a diplomatic consulate in Port-au-Prince.^[25][26]

Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1821.

• Guatemala has an embassy in Tegucigalpa and a consulate in San Pedro Sula.^[27]
• Honduras has an embassy in Guatemala.

Relations between the United States and Guatemala traditionally have been close, although at times strained by human rights and civil-military issues. U.S. policy objectives in Guatemala include:

• Supporting the institutionalization of democracy and implementation of the Peace Accords
• Encouraging respect for human rights and the rule of law, and implementation of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG)
• Supporting broad-based economic growth and sustainable development and maintaining mutually beneficial trade and commercial relations, including ensuring that benefits of Dominican Republic–Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) reach all sectors of the Guatemalan populace
• Cooperating to combat money laundering, corruption, narcotics trafficking, alien-smuggling, and other transnational crime
• Supporting Central American integration through support for resolution of border/territorial disputes

• Guatemala has an embassy in Washington, D.C. and several consulates-general throughout the country.
• United States has an embassy in Guatemala City.

• Guatemala has an embassy in Montevideo.
• Uruguay has an embassy in Guatemala City.

• Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei announced it would sever ties with Venezuela, prompting to close its embassy both in Caracas and Guatemala City, following the ongoing presidential crisis.^[28]

There are four Australia–Guatemala bilateral treaties. Guatemala has an embassy in Canberra, Australia.^[50] The Australian embassy in Mexico has consular responsibility for Guatemala.^[51] Trade between the two countries is A$32 Million.^[52]