15 Facts About Carlos Prats

Carlos Prats served as a minister in Salvador Allende's government while Commander-in-chief of the Chilean Army.

Carlos Prats resigned in August 1973 amid growing national discontent.

Immediately after General Augusto Pinochet's September 11,1973 coup, Prats went into voluntary exile in Argentina.

Carlos Prats Gonzalez was born in Talcahuano in 1915, the oldest son of Carlos Prats Risopatron and Hilda Gonzalez Suarez.

Carlos Prats joined the Army in 1931, and graduated at the top of his class.

Carlos Prats taught there and at the War Academy until 1954.

In 1954, Carlos Prats Gonzalez was promoted to Major, and sent to the military mission to the United States as adjunct military attache, where he served until 1958.

In 1964, Carlos Prats Gonzalez was promoted to Colonel and sent as military attache to Argentina.

Carlos Prats returned to Chile in 1967 as commander of the III Army Division.

General Carlos Prats became the head of the "constitutionalists", members of the armed forces who supported the Schneider Doctrine.

Carlos Prats' reputation was significantly damaged in the Alejandrina Cox incident of June 1973, in which he became involved in an altercation with members of the public and fired a shot at their car.

Carlos Prats immediately tendered his resignation, but Allende refused to accept it.

Carlos Prats had personally recommended to Allende to appoint Pinochet to the position.

Carlos Prats' retirement removed the last real obstacle to a military coup, which took place three weeks later, on September 11,1973.

Immediately after the coup, on September 15,1973, Carlos Prats voluntarily went into exile with his wife in Argentina.