This article aims to critically analyze a key aspect of the Central American economic integration process: the contradictory evolution of development prescriptions formulated by regional entities and organizations. Although these bodies have been created with similar purposes over time, their strategic orientations have varied substantially, projecting from a holistic and multisectoral perspective different paths for the actors considered to be on the front line of this process. Specifically, it examines how natural or legal persons engaged in the intermediation of goods between countries in the region —i.e., the customs logistics sector— have been pointed out at certain times as part of the solution, while at other times they have been overlooked, narrowing the analytical spectrum to customs logistics operations and incorporating with greater emphasis another aspect: the export of modern, value-added services. The research supporting this article is characterized by a critical-qualitative experiential approach, with quantitative bases derived from the statistical processes used. It is applied research with a 20-year longitudinal cut. The target population consists of companies engaged in customs logistics, and the informants correspond to the profile of natural or legal persons involved in the aforementioned processes within the member states of the Central American Economic Integration Subsystem. Additionally, information is obtained from supranational sources, including agencies, administrators, and operators of regional programs.