The Chilean Broad Front at its starting point: Social insertion and profile of party militants in the new left in Chile

Abstract

This article analyzes the insertion in social movements and the profile of militants of the Chilean Broad Front at the time of its formation in 2017 using testimonies collected through 26 semi-structured interviews. The testimonies collected from Broad Front militants are contrasted with testimonies from militants of the Chilean Socialist and Communist parties, both organizations belonging to the then governing coalition. Analysis of the interviews shows that Broad Front militants are less oriented towards the administration of the public apparatus and increasingly involved in social movements, consistent with the incipient stage of the coalition. However, this article reports a social and territorial insertion perceived as superficial, difficulties within the coalition when it comes to reconciling participation in social and institutional spaces, and difficulties in overcoming an identity marked by the student movement.