Republic of Guatemala

Brazil’s cordial relations with Guatemala span over a century. In recent years, political and economic contacts have been strengthened in several areas, including technical and humanitarian cooperation and understanding in the multilateral field. As part of the Brazilian strategy to deepen diplomatic ties with Central America, the bilateral relationship with Guatemala has become even more dynamic. Both countries share a worldview based on values, which has generated recurrent cooperation initiatives, mutual support for candidacies to international bodies and coordinated action in multilateral forums, mainly on the Lima Group and the Organization of American States (OAS) .

The establishment of the bilateral Political Consultations Mechanism, with its first meeting in May 2018, in Guatemala City, represented an occasion for the discussion of the main topics on the bilateral agenda. In turn, Minister Ernesto Araújo’s official visit to Guatemala in February 2020 was a milestone in the process of bringing the two countries closer together, leveraging initiatives in the areas of defense and security, trade and investment, among others.

Technical cooperation is one of the main aspects of the bilateral relations. In July 2019, the two countries signed, in Guatemala City, a new Basic Agreement for Scientific and Technical Cooperation, which modernizes the legal framework used in cooperation projects. In April 2020, Brazil provided assistance to fight the fires in Petén and, in November of the same year, allocated $25,000 to the Guatemalan government, on a humanitarian basis, in the context of the damage caused by the hurricanes Eta and Iota.

Guatemala has the largest economy in Central America. In 2019, the country's bilateral trade flow with Brazil amounted to $ 313.8 million. The bilateral balance registered a surplus for Brazil of $ 248 million. In 2020 (data from January to September), in the context of the pandemic, Brazilian exports totaled $ 187.5 million (+0.9% compared to the same period in 2019); imports represented $ 29.2 million (+23.7%); with total trade flow amounting to $ 216.7 million (+3.4%) and a favorable balance for Brazil of US$ 158.3 million.

Chronology of Bilateral Relations

2020 – The Brazilian government donated US$25,000 to Guatemala, through ABC, as humanitarian cooperation, in the context of the damage caused by Hurricane Eta.

2020 – Minister Ernesto Araújo visits Guatemala (City of Guatemala, February 19)

2018 – President Michel Temer visits Guatemala on the occasion of the 26th Ibero-American Summit (November) and meets with President Jimmy Morales

2018 – First meeting of the Political Consultations Mechanism

2016 – Third meeting of the Brazil-Guatemala Working Group on Technical Cooperation

2014 – The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, Luis Fernando Carrera Castro, visits Brazil (Brasília, August 25)

2013 – Guatemala announces the adoption of the Japanese-Brazilian digital television standard (ISDB-T)

2013 –  The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Guatemala, Luis Fernando Carrera Castro, visits Brazil (Brasília, April 15)

2011 – Brazil takes part in the International Conference in  Support of the Central American Security Strategy (Guatemala City, June 22-23)

2008 – President Álvaro Colom visits Brazil

2005 – President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visits Guatemala, the first one of a Brazilian President

1953 – The Legation is elevated to Embassy status

1906 – President Afonso Pena signs Decree creating the Legations of Brazil in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama