Due to his alienation of the ruling elite – wealthy landowners, army officers, and conservative politicians – through his erratic behavior and religious zeal to a fundamentalist Protestant sect in a predominantly Catholic country, Ríos Montt's downfall was largely anticipated.

Other contributing factors included his refusal to schedule elections and his governance which led to human rights abuses and a declining economy.

[1] The coup was viewed by some as largely insignificant in terms of substantial change, representing merely another reshuffling between the military who had controlled Guatemala for decades.

This was supported by the fact Mejía Víctores was part of the same military elite resistant to change, as evidenced by his hostility towards US officials regarding human rights violations.

[4] However, the brutal tactics that characterized the previous regime persisted under his reign, with a reported 90–100 political killings per month in 1984.