In the period of their independence, Latin American countries faced the challenge of building a political order, in which the legitimacy of power would adjust to the new republican values. This important challenge required more than simple reforms. Indeed, important transformations in the existing political culture and social order were required for the constitution of a modern citizenship. This new political structure would serve as a foundation of future democracies in the region. The early summoning of a National Congress in Chile and the popular election of representatives are two steps that reflect the attempts to organize a country based upon popular sovereignty, territorial representation of the provinces and the not corporate exercise of power.Las independencias impusieron a los países americanos el desafío de construir un orden político, en que la legitimidad del poder se ajustara a los nuevos valores republicanos. El desafío era enorme, ya que no bastaban las simples reformas. Se requerían profundas transformaciones en la cultura política y el orden social, para la constitución de una ciudadanía moderna, que fuera base de la futura democracia. La temprana convocatoria de un Congreso nacional y la elección popular de representantes, reflejan los intentos de organizar un país basado en la soberanía popular, la representación territorial de las provincias y el ejercicio no corporativo del poder.