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| National Front (Chile) | |
|---|---|
| Name | National Front |
| Native name | Frente Nacional |
| Founded | 1960 |
| Dissolved | 1966 |
| Country | Chile |
National Front (Chile) The National Front was a Chilean political movement active in the early 1960s that sought to consolidate conservative, nationalist, and anti-communist forces in Santiago and provinces. It emerged amid competition between the Conservative Party (Chile), Liberal Party, and rising Christian Democratic Party (Chile), positioning itself against the Socialist Party of Chile, the Communist Party of Chile, and the presidential bid of Salvador Allende. The movement involved intellectuals, military officers, journalists, and former members of the National Falange and influenced subsequent realignments that contributed to the formation of the National Party.
Founded in 1960 by a coalition of activists from the Conservative Party (Chile), the Liberal Party, and disaffected elements of the Christian Democratic Party (Chile), the National Front sought to respond to political changes after the 1958 Chilean presidential election and the presidency of Jorge Alessandri. Key early figures included conservative intellectuals linked to the Instituto de Estudios Políticos and journalists from newspapers such as El Mercurio and La Tercera. The movement organized public meetings in Santiago and provincial centers including Valparaíso and Concepción and maintained contacts with officers formerly associated with the Chilean Army and veteran networks from the War of the Pacific. After modest successes in municipal coordination and campaigning during the 1964 Chilean presidential election, the National Front participated in talks that led to the merger creating the National Party in 1966, after which the Front dissolved as an independent organization.
The National Front advocated a blend of conservative nationalism influenced by writers and activists associated with the Hispanic conservative tradition and anti-communist theorists such as critics of the Soviet Union. Its platform emphasized national sovereignty, anti-Marxist policies aimed at the Socialist Party of Chile and the Communist Party of Chile, support for private property linked to landowners and business elites represented in chambers like the CPC, and calls for administrative reform inspired by technocratic circles in Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and think tanks associated with the Catholic Church in Chile. The Front endorsed law-and-order themes popular with elements of the Carabineros de Chile and advocated closer ties with Western anti-communist networks including conservative groups in the United States and Argentina.
Organizationally, the National Front combined local cells in cities such as Santiago, Valparaíso, Concepción, and La Serena with national committees comprised of intellectuals from institutes like the Universidad de Chile and the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. Prominent leaders emerged from families historically tied to the Conservative Party (Chile) and the Liberal Party; notable figures had prior affiliations with the National Falange or with conservative journals such as Ercilla. Membership drew former students of the Chilean Military Academy and journalists from El Mercurio and regional newspapers. The movement maintained affiliate organizations for youth and professionals connected to the Chamber of Deputies and municipal politics, and coordinated electoral lists alongside the Democratic Front and later the National Party leadership.
In municipal and legislative contests of the early 1960s the National Front ran candidates either independently or in electoral pacts with the Conservative Party (Chile), Liberal Party, and other center-right formations. Their impact was modest: they succeeded in electing councilors in Santiago boroughs and securing legislative nominations in districts such as Santiago Centro, Valparaíso and Biobío. During the 1964 Chilean presidential election the Front backed candidates aligned against Salvador Allende and coordinated with supporters of Eduardo Frei Montalva from the Christian Democratic Party (Chile), contributing to coalition campaigning that helped consolidate anti-socialist votes. Results in the Chilean parliamentary election, 1965 reflected limited parliamentary seats for candidates linked to the Front, prompting the leadership to pursue consolidation into the National Party to increase representation.
Beyond elections, the National Front engaged in policy advocacy on issues debated in the Congress and municipal councils, lobbying for agricultural property protections relevant to groups represented in the Sociedad Nacional de Agricultura and for economic policies resonant with members of the CPC. The Front cultivated intellectual forums with scholars from the Universidad de Chile and the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and sponsored conferences attended by figures from the Institute of International Studies (Chile) and regional conservative organizations in Argentina and Peru. Its networks intersected with veterans’ associations and elements of the Chilean Armed Forces concerned about leftist influence, and it contributed personnel and rhetoric to the later conservative strategy during the tumultuous years preceding the 1973 Chilean coup d'état.
The National Front faced criticism from the Socialist Party of Chile, the Communist Party of Chile, and parts of the Christian Democratic Party (Chile) for alleged reactionary tendencies and for fostering anti-democratic sentiment. Critics linked some of its rhetoric to movements in Europe associated with authoritarian nationalism and accused its affiliates of seeking covert coordination with conservative military officers, drawing scrutiny from newspapers such as El Siglo and La Nación. Human rights advocates and leftist unions like the Central Única de Trabajadores criticized the Front’s positions on labor law and land reform championed by the Reforma Agraria (Chile) debates, alleging obstruction of progressive legislation. Allegations of clandestine ties to foreign conservative organizations were raised in parliamentary inquiries and press investigations, fueling controversies that contributed to debates during the formation of the National Party.