The article analyzes the patriotic and nationalist movement that emerged in the province of Atacama between 1879 and 1881. It seeks to understand how the convergence of ideas was able to shape a discourse that included various sectors of civil society during the War of the Pacific. Additionally, it examines how the provincial government utilized nationalism as a cultural tool to gain social support, adjusting its content in response to specific demands for citizen and popular participation. Methodologically, the study analyzes communications and letters found in various documents from the archives of the Atacama Intendancy and the provincial press of the period.