Carlos Prats - Death

Death

On September 30, 1974, in Buenos Aires, Prats and his wife Sofia were killed, outside of their own apartment, by a radio-controlled car bomb, throwing debris up to the ninth story balcony of the building across the street. Later, it was found out that the assassination was planned by members of the Chilean secret police DINA, and carried out by the American expatriate and Chilean citizen Michael Townley, who would also carry out the Orlando Letelier assassination in 1976.

The actual motivation for these assassinations may never be known. However, following the September 11th coup of the year before, Carlos Prats had not only exiled himself, he had also made statements both public and private against the Junta and Pinochet. He had also signaled his willingness to assume the role of Commander in Chief of the Armed forces in exile, or even the role of President for a shadow government or government-in-exile.

Viewed in this context, the assassination of both Prats and later Letelier makes a great deal of sense, as both men deliberately set themselves up as potential presidents-in-waiting, and thus potential challenges to the legitimacy of the ruling Junta, and later of Pinochet himself.