Alejandrina Cox incident

During a traffic dispute in Santiago, Prats fired his weapon at a civilian woman named Alejandrina Cox, which caused a media frenzy in Chile.

In 1973, Chile experienced a surge of civil unrest that reflected both support and opposition for the policies of President Salvador Allende and his Popular Unity government.

General Carlos Prats, who served as both Minister of the Interior and commander-in-chief of the Chilean Army, was tasked with maintaining order in a highly polarized nation.

On 27 June 1973, General Carlos Prats was being driven to his office in his official car through a busy intersection in Las Condes, an upper-class suburb of Santiago.

As he drove through the intersection, a small red Renault car pulled up next to him, and two occupants inside began mocking and making obscene gestures towards him.

Allende's opposition seized on the event, accusing the general of cowardice and of losing his self-control by firing at the vehicle of an unarmed woman.

[2] On 22 August 1973, public protests led by the wives of his generals and officers in front of his home further eroded Prats' support, ultimately leading to his resignation as commander-in-chief of the Army.