Fernando Vargas Peralta

Juan Fernando Vargas Peralta (23 April 1914 – 11 August 1996) was a Chilean agricultural entrepreneur, industrialist, and politician.

He served as Deputy for the 4th Departamental Group (La Serena, Coquimbo, Elqui, Ovalle, Combarbalá and Illapel) from 1969 to 1973, representing first the Liberal Party and later the National Party. He was also regidor of Paihuano during three terms from 1953 to 1969.^[1]

He was the son of Carlos Vargas Salcedo and Betsabé Peralta Rodríguez. In 1943, he married Gabriela Rodríguez Castro in Paihuano, with whom he had five children: Fernando, Carmen Luz, Juan Enrique, María del Pilar and María Gabriela.

He studied at the Colegio de los Padres Alemanes in La Serena and later at the Bernardo O'Higgins Military Academy, graduating as Naval Officer. He retired in 1939 as midshipman, first class.

From 1939 he worked as an agricultural entrepreneur and from 1945 as an agricultural industrialist. Between 1947 and 1957 he also served as judge in the locality of Alcohuaz.

Vargas began his political activities in 1945 by joining the Liberal Party. He served as secretary of the Liberal Assembly of Paihuano and in 1958 joined the Agrupational Council of Coquimbo. In 1967, following the merger of the Liberal Party with the Conservative Party, he joined the newly created National Party, serving as member of the Coquimbo Provincial Council.

As representative of the Liberal Party and later of the National Party, he was elected regidor of Paihuano in three terms: 1953–1956, 1960–1963 and 1967–1969.^[2]

In the 1969 elections, he was elected Deputy for the 4th Departamental Group (La Serena, Coquimbo, Elqui, Ovalle, Combarbalá and Illapel) for the 1969–1973 term. During his parliamentary service he sat on the Permanent Commission of National Defense, Physical Education and Sports.

He died in La Serena on 11 August 1996.

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