 It was founded in 1960 by the merger of the Democratic Party, a small faction of the Radical Doctrinal Party, part of the People's National Party (PANAPO), the Democratic Socialist Party and the Social Democratic Party.It initially participated in the FRAP until Ibáñez' retirement in 1965.The party supported the presidential candidacy of Salvador Allende in 1964, but several parliamentarians withdrew to form the New Democratic Left, which supported Eduardo Frei.