The Liberal Party of Chile was a classical liberal political party in Chile which existed from 1849 to 11 May 1966. The party was founded by pipiolos, upper-class liberals, to oppose the clericalist Conservative Party of Chile after its victory in the 1829 civil war. The party attempted many coups to bypass rigged elections, but it was democratically elected to power in 1861 for the first time. The party was once anticlericalist and liberal, but it later became a conservative party, especially under Arturo Alessandri, who massacred protesting workers. In 1966, the party formed the National Party of Chile with other Chilean parties.
The Liberal Party was supported mainly by the emerging middle class, intellectuals, and those advocating for secularism and economic modernization. It had a strong presence in urban areas, particularly in Santiago and Valparaiso, where commerce and industry were growing.
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