Rodolfo Hernández, the surprising “tropical Trump” in Colombia

The engineer and Rodolfo Hernandez These are two concepts that are no longer inseparable from the Colombian political scene, especially in a career where this tycoon has won his status as an “outsider” to try to win the presidency on the June ballot and govern by of controversy.

The “Colombian Tropical Trump”, as some have pointed out to him, there is not much real possibility, according to initial projections, of achieving victory in the polls; he is not known by most Colombians, except in the department of Santander, where he grew up and made his fortune.

But Hernández, candidate of the Anti-Corruption Governors League movement, which he created and he did not define himself politically though their proposals were more focused on populism, He came as a surprise to the campaign: polls bring him closer to second place which will give him a ticket to the second round where he will face leftist Gustavo Petro at the polls.

The beginning

The successful and millionaire businessman, far removed from traditional Colombian politics and castes, began his career in Bucaramanga, capital of the department of Santander, in the northeast of the country.

He was born in that region, into a working-class family, in 1945, specifically in Piedecuesta, the land that rewarded him with the millions he now has in his account after entering the business of building social housing.

Hernández was married to Socorro Oliveros and She has four children: Juliana, missing after being kidnapped by National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas in 2004, Luis Carlos, Mauricio and Rodolfo José.

In that campaign that pushed him into politics, he made inseparable the word “engineer” in his name, certainly trying to give the image that because he was already rich, there is no need to steal from the treasury to thicken their pockets. Something that worked for him and accompanied him throughout his Presidency career.

He came to power in Bucaramanga from his home: he bought the apartment across the street, where he built an office where he hired everyone. He was also followed by eccentricities in the Mayor’s Office, where every Monday he shows off his famous “Talk to the Mayor”which caused him some controversy.

sharp tongue

But without a doubt, the most hallmark of his presence on the political scene was his character, who tended to be glamorous and vulgar, and without any fear of confrontation, where he worked to his quality that always came out without hurt.

Hernandez is a “attractive candidate” because he has novel ideas, if you will, uncommon, and “he sends them without filters, something that can connect with voters,” political analyst Felipe Botero explained in an interview with Efe, and added that this does not mean that they are “reasonable.” . “.

The engineer came into the race for the Presidency with some controversy behind him, such as an interview in which he made sure he admired Adolfo Hitlero when he hit an opposition councilor from the Bucaramanga Mayor’s Office, something that led to the suspension of his position.

His campaign, as it delivered him to the mayor’s office, was based on a speech in which he made a greedy criticism against corrupt practices, prevalent in Colombia, as well as against traditional politicians, that he accuses of all the evil the country is suffering.

Despite this speech that became the flagship, Hernández was involved in a corruption case that began during his time as mayor. The Prosecutor’s Office accuses him of entering into a consultancy contract for waste management in Bucaramanga with alleged irregularities, for which it will not be known whether he is responsible until the trial is conducted, which is scheduled after the election.

who voted for it

The success of the engineer is in the regions, especially in “santanderes”, in reference to his native Santander and the neighboring department of Norte de Santander. Unlike the other candidates, Hernández did not tour the country in rallies in public squares but in small gatherings with supporters.

His “explosive and rebellious” personalityat the same time it is somewhat “authoritarian and intolerant”, is what “people want”, considered Viveros.

But Hernández has proven “relatively naive about how democratic institutions work and it can work against him,” because “he believes the president has the capacity” to make decisions that he really doesn’t have.

If he reaches the Presidency, Hernández there will be no party in Congresssomething that can lead to difficulties when managing.

Despite all the hurdles that come his way, the engineer “goes all out” and continues with a successful presidential campaign.with a strong presence on social networks.

And on May 29, his greatest wish so far was played out in the polls, to lead Colombia.

EFE Agency

PB