There is no doubt that he appeared to many of the poor as someone extremely sensitive to poverty, while the FRG under Ríos Montt’s strong hand would stop the increasing violence and guarantee public safety. Others, such as the hundreds of thousands of former Civil Self-Defense Patrol members and military officers, also expected the return of their authority, which the peace accords had quite justly disqualified.
No cabe duda que muchos de entre los pobres vieron en Portillo a un hombre extremadamente sensible a la pobreza y en el FRG de Ríos Montt una mano dura para frenar la violencia social y garantizar la seguridad ciudadana. Otros, por ejemplo los cientos de miles de antiguos patrulleros de autodefensa civil y ex-comisionados militares, pudieron ver también el retorno de su autoridad, descalificada -justamente- en los acuerdos de paz.