Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Guatemala

Profile narrative

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, also known as Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Guatemala or Minex, is the government body responsible for conducting the country’s foreign policy and managing its international relations. It oversees diplomatic missions abroad, negotiates treaties and agreements, and provides consular services to Guatemalan citizens living or traveling overseas. The ministry coordinates Guatemala’s participation in multilateral organisations and promotes trade, investment, and cultural exchange with other nations. As a central authority in the Guatemalan public sector, it operates under the direction of the President and reports to the national legislature. Its headquarters are located in Guatemala City, serving as the administrative hub for its various departments and regional offices.

The ministry’s organisational structure is that of a state ministry, meaning it is wholly owned and funded by the Government of Guatemala and has no private shareholders or parent‑company affiliations. In September 2022, the ministry experienced a significant cybersecurity incident when the ransomware group Onix launched an attack on 19 September 2022, compromising 49 websites and subdomains associated with the ministry’s main domain and digital services platforms. The attack encrypted and corrupted files, rendering larger files unrecoverable even after a ransom payment was considered, and led to the temporary suspension of online services. Although the ministry did not disclose the exact ransom amount or detailed operational impacts, the incident highlighted the vulnerability of governmental digital infrastructure to destructive ransomware tactics. This event remains the only publicly documented cyber incident involving the ministry in the available sources.

Incidents

1 incident linked to this organisation.