Former Colombian presidential candidate Rodolfo Hernández dies after battle with cancer

Rodolfo Hernández, who lost Colombia’s presidency to Gustavo Petro in 2022, has died after announcing his terminal cancer diagnosis in March. 

On September 2, Hernández’s family confirmed through X that the politician had experienced complications one month after a liver surgery, prompted by his cancer diagnosis. He remained in intensive care at the Colombian International Hospital for a week before his passing, reported Colombian newspaper El Tiempo. 

“His family and close friends thank all prayers for his recovery,” the statement read. 

Later in the day, Hernández’s own party, the League of Anticorruption Governors (Liga de Gobernantes Anticorrupción) announced that he had passed away through X. “Hernández leaves an irreplaceable void in our organization and in national politics,” they stated. 

The Colombian International Hospital also released a statement, explaining that the politicians’ death was prompted by “complications from his metastatic neoplastic colon disease.” 

“I profoundly lament Rodolfo Hernández’s death after a long fight with cancer. I extend a hug to his family,” stated current President Gustavo Petro, Hernández’s former political rival. 

His funeral will be open to the public, and held in his home city of Bucaramanga on September 4. 

Controversies

At 79 years old, Hernández was diagnosed with colon cancer in May 2023, and underwent a multidisciplinary treatment including five surgeries after it spread to his liver, according to El Tiempo. 

He shared his terminal diagnosis in a tearful intervention during trial proceedings in March 2024, after he was accused of corruption, as the newspaper reported. 

“Judge, I would like to thank everyone who participated in this trial. I answered your every call. I have terminal cancer, thank you for looking where you shouldn’t have. I thought I would end up anywhere but in a trial for crimes I did not commit,” Hernández stated at the time. 

The trial resulted in the politician being placed under house arrest for 64 months, after it was determined that he could not serve time in prison due to his poor health. 

Nonetheless, the politician had appealed the decision in June 2024, alleging irregularities in the testimonies provided against him and stating that the judge had overlooked contradictions in the evidence. 

All penal and disciplinary processes against him will be archived because of his death, as per Colombian law and reported by El Tiempo.