Guatemala Embassy in México

The Embassy of Guatemala in Mexico City is located at 1025 Explanada Street in Lomas de Chapultepec neighborhood, like many embassies in Mexico City. The embassy is just opposite a rather pleasant park formed by the meeting of two broad avenues, Explanada and Boulevard de los Virreyes. Note, they don’t cross here, but mere brush elbows.

The Mexican border with Guatemala is the longest in the south. It’s a line that marks a great deal of common history including through much of the Mesoamerican period. Ancient Maya culture is well known and equally splendid on both sides of the border. During the long colonial period, Guatemala was re-organized as a general captaincy. It was administratively dependent on New Spain, but maintained judicial autonomy. Clerical interactions between the churches often offer surprising glimpses at colonial movement between the two countries. Remember, the Mercedarians, who began the Vice Regal capital’s most splendid monastery, (and lent their name to the entire lower west side of Mexico’s Capital), arrived here after a decades long stint in Guatemala. That was in 1582.

With independence in both countries, Guatemala was even briefly a part of the First Mexican Empire. Within a few years, Guatemala joined the United Provinces of Central America. That union lasted until 1838, and Guatemala achieved full independence ten years later. Formal diplomatic relations date from that period.

A first bilateral agreement, the Herrera-Mariscal Treaty, established territorial limits in 1882. But despite a few minor setbacks, Guatemala and Mexico have maintained diplomatic relations even during Guatemala’s long civil war. It lasted from 1960 until 1996.

Today the two countries have 40+ bilateral agreements, 23 of them signed just between 2014 and 2019. Trade relations have also increased and most free trade agreements today include El Salvador and Honduras, too. Exports from Mexico to Guatemala include plastics, machinery, household appliances, and iron among others. Guatemala sends back cooking oils, rubber, textiles, paper, and cardboard.

Hours: Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Fridays, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.