César Mendoza

The original members of the Government Junta. From right to left: Air Force General Gustavo Leigh, Army General Augusto Pinochet, Navy Admiral José Toribio Merino, and Police General César Mendoza.

César Mendoza

Medal record
Representing  Chile
Equestrian
Olympic Games
	1952 Helsinki	Team Jumping
Pan American Games
	Buenos Aires 1951	Team Jumping
	Chicago 1959	Team Dressage
	Chicago 1959	Individual Dressage

General César Leonidas Mendoza Durán (September 11, 1918 – September 13, 1996) was a member of the Government Junta which ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990, representing the country-wide police force, the Carabineros de Chile.

Mendoza was born in Santiago, the youngest of the eleven children of Atilio Mendoza Valdebenito, a science teacher and first mayor of La Cisterna, and Amalia Durán, a pianist. In 1938, young César Mendoza began his compulsory military service. In 1940, he matriculated at the Carabineros' School, from which he was graduated as a second lieutenant the following year. Mendoza worked in different cities during his police career, starting in 1942 as a lieutenant at Molina, Talca, and the Carabineros' School. He was promoted to captain in 1953, to major in 1959, to lieutenant colonel in 1965, to colonel in 1968, to general in 1970, and to inspector general of the carabineros in 1972. In this position, he eventually formed part of the Government Junta that came into power following the 1973 coup d'état. Of the four members of the Junta (who represented the Chilean Army, Air Force, Navy and Carabineros or National Police), Mendoza was widely considered the one who held the least amount of power and influence, even being derisively referred to as Mendocita.

Mendoza served in the Government Junta until August 2, 1985, where the public outcry from Caso Degollados led to his forced resignation. He was replaced by Rodolfo Stange Oelckers.

A noted horseman, Mendoza won a silver medal in the XV Olympiade of 1952 at Helsinki as a member of the show jumping team.^[1]

References

1. "Equestrianism at the 1952 Helsinki Summer Games:". Retrieved 2009-10-17.