BOGOTÁ, Colombia — In a shock to a political system long dominated by traditional parties and machine politics, an eccentric, 77-year-old populist who promises drastic budget cuts and jail for corrupt officials is now a leading contender in the race for the presidency.
Unknown to most Colombians until just a few months ago, Rodolfo Hernández, a real estate mogul and a former mayor, garnered enough votes in the May 29 first-round election to earn a spot in Sunday's runoff against leftist Gustavo Petro.
