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General 'César Leonidas Mendoza Durán' (September 11, 1918 – September 13, 1996) was a member of the Government Junta that ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990, representing the police force (Carabineros de Chile).
Mendoza was born in Santiago, the son of Atilio Mendoza Valdebenito, a science teacher and first mayor of La Cisterna, and Amalia Durán, a pianist. He was the youngest of 11 children. A noted horseman, he won a silver medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics Games in Helsinki, as a part of the show jumping team.
In 1973, after being contacted by General Gustavo Leigh just a day before (September 10), he joined the plan to depose President Salvador Allende, reserving for himself the position of General Director of Carabineros (he was, actually the 5th in line of command). When he became a junta member, he made history by being the first member of Carabineros in a Chilean government.
He was awarded medals by the police of Peru and Ecuador, in addition to the Royal Victorian Order Medal by Queen Elizabeth II.
In 1985, communists José Manuel Parada, Manuel Guerrero and Santiago Nattino were found beheaded. The blame was quickly put on the Carabineros, and the ''Caso Degollados'' ("case of the slit throats") caused Mendoza's resignation. He officially resigned on August 2, 1985 and was replaced by General Rodolfo Stange Oelckers.
In 1987, he was one of the founders of the Las Condes University. Together with his wife Alicia Godoy, whom he married in 1948 and with whom he has two children, Mendoza founded a charity organization to help children. After a long illness, Mendoza died, two days after his birthday in 1996.