Civil Party
From a very young age he became a member of the Civil Party. He supported, together with his brothers Javier and Jorge, General Oscar R. Benavides in the coup against President Guillermo Billinghurst,which took place on February 4, 1914; and was present at the assault on the Government Palace, a participation that earned him his promotion to lieutenant. On January 19 of that same year he had married Enriqueta Garland Higginson, six years his senior, with which he had two children: Rosa and Manuel Prado Garland.