EU Council President Costa makes first official visit to Guatemala

The President of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo, received European Council President António Costa in Guatemala City on 20 May 2026. The Council said this was the first official visit to Guatemala by a President of the European Council.

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The visit focused on the relationship between Guatemala and the European Union, with both sides highlighting political cooperation, trade and investment, including the EU's Global Gateway strategy. The two leaders said they shared commitments to democracy, the rule of law, human rights and multilateralism.

Arévalo thanked Europe for support for institutional strengthening, transparency and the fight against corruption. Costa reiterated EU support for Guatemalan democracy and said he acknowledged progress made by the government in priority action areas, according to the release.

Both leaders also referred to the European Union's role in Guatemala's democratic processes. The statement specifically cited EU electoral observation for the 2023 elections and an ad-hoc mission that accompanied the processes for selecting and appointing judges of the Supreme Electoral Court, the Constitutional Court, the Attorney General and the Head of the Public Prosecutor's Office for 2026.

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During the visit, Costa also delivered the preliminary report containing recommendations from that ad-hoc accompanying mission. The leaders further discussed regional and international issues, including dialogue between the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean, and security cooperation against organised crime and illegal migration through programmes named CLASI, PAcCTO and EUROFRONT.

They also restated commitment to the Association Agreement between Central America and the EU and noted that trade between Guatemala and the EU has doubled since it entered into force. The statement ended with both presidents expressing concern about armed conflicts in the world, including the war against Ukraine, and support for efforts to achieve a ceasefire and a fair and lasting peace in accordance with international law.

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