Colombia’s Rodolfo Hernández goes from also-ran to the brink of power

Populist businessman will face former leftwing guerrilla Gustavo Petro in presidential run-off next month

Gideon Long in Bogotá

As the results came in that could put him on course to be Colombia’s president, Rodolfo Hernández was a long way from crowds of cheering supporters. Instead — and true to his preferred mode of campaigning — he was in his kitchen making a short video of himself.

“To those who voted for me, I tell you now, I won’t fail you,” he said from his home city of Bucaramanga.