Real estate magnate who came close to winning Colombia's presidential election dies from cancer

BOGOTA, Colombia — Rodolfo Hernández, a controversial real estate magnate and anti-corruption crusader who came close to winning Colombia's presidential election two years ago, has died from colon cancer at a hospital near the city of Bucaramanga, his doctors said Monday in a statement. He was 79.

Hernández, a civil engineer and former mayor of Bucaramanga, surprised Colombians in 2022 when he made it to the second round of the nation's presidential election with a low-cost, self-financed campaign that eschewed the clientelist networks that political parties in Colombia usually rely on.

Instead he relied on confrontational messages on X and snazzy social media videos to get his message out. He got 28% of the vote in the May 2022 election, which was enough for him to advance to a runoff against the leading candidate, Gustavo Petro.

Hernández was barely known among most Colombians when campaigning began. But he built a loyal following among conservative voters who were fed up with the nation's traditional politicians. He lost in a hotly contested runoff to Petro, a life-long activist and former senator, who led a large coalition of left-wing parties, unions and social movements.

During his campaign, Hernández depicted himself as an anti-corruption crusader who would cut down public spending, and even turn some government buildings into museums. His message contrasted greatly with that of Petro, a leftist who argued that Colombia needs more government spending and regulation of the economy to rein in social and economic inequalities.

Hernández's impact on Colombian politics faded after the election as he became mired in several investigations that undermined his credibility.

In June, a judge in Bucaramanga sentenced Hernández to five years in prison for steering a multimillion dollar sanitation contract towards a company led partially by his son, when he was the city's mayor. He claimed he was innocent and had said he would appeal the ruling.

Due to his deteriorating health, the judge put Hernández under house arrest, but the politician spent much of his time in hospital.