Portillo had gone ahead with his embrace of Brazil in apparent violation of the 1992 Protocolo de Guatemala, which requires that, although any country may negotiate accords with third countries, it must first consult with the Consejo de Ministros de Comercio Exterior (Comieco); Guatemala failed to do this.
They also set up an advisory board (Consejo Empresarial Centroamericano) to act as a parallel body to the economy ministers' Consejo de Ministros de Economia de Centroamerica (COMIECO).