On August 8, 2025, the diplomatic spotlight shone brightly on the southern border of Mexico as President Claudia Sheinbaum and Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo took a significant step toward deepening regional cooperation. In a telephone call that both leaders described as warm and productive, they set the stage for their first bilateral meeting, scheduled for next week in southeastern Mexico—a region long marked by both mutual opportunity and complex challenges.
President Sheinbaum announced the conversation on her social media account, stating, "I appreciate the call from the president of Guatemala; we talked about the upcoming meeting to bring our peoples and nations closer." According to El Universal, the message was echoed by President Arévalo, who posted, "We just had a very good call with President Claudia Sheinbaum to prepare for our meeting next week, where we will be working on our common agendas. The exchange with Mexico strengthens and unites our peoples."
This highly anticipated meeting, the first face-to-face encounter between Sheinbaum and Arévalo since both took office in 2024, is more than a diplomatic courtesy. It comes at a time when the two countries are navigating both the promise of closer ties and the reality of recent tensions. The meeting is expected to focus on three major areas: border security, environmental cooperation, and the energy sector. The leaders are also expected to discuss broader regional cooperation, with the possible participation of Belize's Prime Minister John Briceño under consideration.
While the precise date and location of the meeting remain unconfirmed, Sheinbaum told reporters during her August 7 morning press conference that the summit would likely take place in southeastern Mexico. "Next week we are going to see President Arévalo of Guatemala. And we are also seeing if we can meet with the Prime Minister of Belize as well. We will inform you of the date, but most likely it is next week," she said.
The agenda is ambitious and comes on the heels of a tense episode in June 2025, when Mexican police crossed into Guatemalan territory near the Cuauhtémoc-La Mesilla border port during a security operation. The incursion, aimed at detaining suspected criminals, sparked discontent in Guatemala and prompted the Mexican government to issue a diplomatic note reaffirming its commitment to Guatemala's territorial sovereignty. According to Milenio, the incident underscored the need for better coordination and communication on border security—one of the very topics now slated for bilateral discussion.
Guatemala responded to the June incident by reinforcing its land and air security measures along the border, especially after an armed confrontation at the Cuauhtémoc-La Mesilla crossing in Huehuetenango. As EFE reported, the episode highlighted the urgency of addressing security issues along the nearly 965-kilometer border the two nations share. Both governments have since reiterated their commitment to making the border a space of well-being and cooperation, rather than conflict.
The stakes for this meeting are high, but so is the potential for progress. Mexico and Guatemala have a long history of bilateral agreements—over 40 in total, spanning trade, security, culture, and disaster prevention. Diplomatic relations were first established on September 6, 1848, and the Herrera-Mariscal Treaty of 1882 formally set the territorial boundaries between the two countries. Since then, both nations have signed a telecommunications convention (1963), a disaster prevention cooperation agreement (1987), a treaty to strengthen international boundary and water commissions (1990), a free trade agreement including El Salvador and Honduras (2000), and a labor cooperation agreement (2018), among others.
Despite these longstanding ties, the border region remains a flashpoint for issues ranging from migration and organized crime to environmental degradation and economic inequality. Both leaders have signaled their intent to move beyond crisis management and toward proactive, mutually beneficial policies. As President Arévalo stated, "The exchange with Mexico strengthens and unites our peoples." Sheinbaum, for her part, has emphasized that the upcoming meeting is about "bringing our peoples and nations closer."
There is also a sense of renewal in the bilateral relationship. The last high-level meeting took place in May 2024, when then-Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador met with Arévalo in Chiapas to discuss economic development and infrastructure at the border. Since Arévalo's inauguration, the relationship has gained momentum, with both sides looking to build on past agreements and address new challenges together.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the upcoming summit is the possible involvement of Belize. President Sheinbaum has confirmed that discussions are underway to include Prime Minister John Briceño in the talks, which would expand the scope of the meeting to a trilateral format. Such a move could signal a broader commitment to regional cooperation, especially on issues that transcend bilateral borders, such as migration, drug trafficking, and climate change.
High-level officials from both Mexico and Guatemala are expected to participate in what Arévalo has described as a "very active cooperation agenda." According to El Financiero, this reflects a shift toward more institutionalized and sustained engagement between the two governments, rather than ad hoc crisis response.
Yet, the path ahead is not without obstacles. The memory of the June border incident lingers, and both governments will need to demonstrate that they can manage security concerns while respecting each other's sovereignty. The inclusion of topics like energy and the environment on the agenda is a nod to the region's broader challenges, from access to clean energy to the preservation of the rich biodiversity that spans their shared border.
For many observers, the upcoming meeting represents a chance for both leaders to set a new tone in regional diplomacy—one that balances pragmatism with ambition. With nearly two centuries of diplomatic engagement behind them and a future that will undoubtedly demand even closer cooperation, Mexico and Guatemala appear poised to take a significant step forward.
As next week approaches, the eyes of the region will be on southeastern Mexico, where the promise of a stronger, more collaborative relationship between neighbors may soon be realized. For now, both presidents have offered a simple but resonant message: the time has come to bring their peoples and nations closer—one conversation, and one agreement, at a time.
