How was the Christian Democratic Party of Chile formed in 1957?

The Christian Democratic Party of Chile was formed in 1957 through the fusion of two groups that had previously seceded from the Conservative Party.12

The primary components of this merger were:

• The National Falange (Falange Nacional): Originally formed in 1938 by a group of young conservatives who left the Conservative Party to establish an antifascist, social Christian organization.12
• The Social Christian Party: A group that had also separated from the Conservative Party.12

Inspired by the work of French philosopher Jacques Maritain and various European Christian Democratic movements, the newly formed party adopted a program focused on implementing significant reforms to address the country's archaic economic and social structures.12