Gerardo Vargas Hurtado (1869–1941) was a Peruvian journalist born in Arica.
In March 1904, on the occasion of the 14th anniversary of El Morro de Arica, Vargas indicated that the newspaper was founded with the exclusive purpose of defending Peruvian interests in these territories as well as local commerce.
He participated in the journalistic field in the plebiscite campaigns of 1925 and 1926 in favor of Peru for the former provinces[a] of Tacna and Arica to rejoin Peruvian territory.
In 1925, some chapters of his book La Batalla de Arica, were published aboard the Ucayali, a Peruvian ship off the Arican coast.
In 1929, as a result of the Treaty of Lima, his native Arica became definitely a Chilean province.