This article explores the first attempts at formal political participation by the working class sector in the nitrate región towards the end of the 19th century. The first part reviews the current literature regarding the politicalization of the working class during the period of the "social question". The second and third part cover the alternative forms of popular politicalization evident in the nitrate región, which are applicable to the rest of the country: the "endogenous" form stresses worker autonomy as proposed by the Demócratas, Socialists and Anarchists while the other is "induced" by the élite parties, in particular the Balmacedistas and the Radicales. The former alternative is not very evident in the period under study, whereas the latter appears to have been much more successful preparing the ground for the populist Alessandrismo in the future.