Gerardo Espíndola Rojas

Gerardo Alfredo Espíndola Rojas (born 23 July 1978) is a Chilean journalist and politician. He served as Mayor of Arica between December 2016 and November 2024.

Early life and education Espíndola was born in Arica and raised in the Juan Noé neighborhood. He completed his primary and secondary education at the Domingo Santa María High School in Arica. He later moved to Antofagasta to study journalism at the Universidad Católica del Norte, graduating in the early 2000s.

He later completed a postgraduate diploma in Relationship Marketing at the University of Chile.

Professional career Espíndola was an early promoter of citizen journalism in Chile. In 2005, he co-founded El Morrocotudo, a participatory digital newspaper based in Arica, considered one of the first Spanish-language citizen media outlets in Latin America.

Following this experience, he participated in the creation of additional regional citizen media outlets across Chile, working as product and media manager for the Red Mi Voz network until 2015.

In 2011, he was invited by the United States Embassy to participate in the program On the Cutting Edge: Digital Reporting in the 21st Century, organized by the Institute of the Americas at the University of California, San Diego.

He has also worked as a consultant on recycling and waste-management projects in Chile and abroad, collaborating with international organizations including the Inter-American Development Bank.

Political career Espíndola is a member of the Liberal Party. In April 2016, he launched his candidacy for mayor of Arica as part of the Alternativa Democrática electoral pact.

He was elected mayor in the 2016 municipal elections and assumed office on 6 December 2016. He was re-elected in the 2021 Chilean municipal elections, becoming the second mayor in Arica's history to obtain consecutive terms.

During his tenure, his administration promoted environmental policies, urban mobility initiatives, and local heritage preservation projects.

On 15 November 2024, Espíndola resigned from office in order to seek a seat in the 2025 general election.