In 2014, a new party in Chile called Revolución Democrática inaugurated its central office. One of the first things they did was decorate the walls with a mural. The quote chosen for this mural was from a speech by the iconic Chilean president Salvador Allende: “Since my youth I have fought against prejudice and obsolete political systems. As fate would have it, I have led this Democratic Revolution in Chile.”

Today, Revolución Democrática has become one of the largest parties in Chile. Together with several other political and social actors, it has formed an unexpectedly successful political coalition, the Frente Amplio (Broad Front). This coalition has managed to shake the political landscape of the country, defying several aspects of the establishment consensus and achieving important success in the 2017 elections.

The recent electoral success of the Chilean left gives new weight to the anniversary of Allende’s fall from power at the hands of a vicious US-backed coup. How should this new generation, many of whom lived through neither Allende’s Popular Unity government nor Pinochet’s dictatorship, wrestle with the promises and perils of state power? What lessons should a project like Frente Amplio take from the Popular Unity experience — and what is different today? Though the answers vary among the new Chilean left, exploring them is crucial for ensuring the continuance of Allende’s democratic revolution.