Meet 'Super Citizen.' He May Be Colombia's Next President

Antanas Mockus, who is running for President in Colombia's elections on May 30, is dismissed as a clown by his opponents. Yet an Apr. 26 poll puts the former math professor and mayor of Bogotá in first place. Mockus, 58, is known for antics such as dressing as "Super Citizen"—his costume is heavy on the spandex—to teach civic responsibility. He once silenced a roomful of noisy students by dropping his pants. Behind the fun is serious politics. Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez recently said that Mockus' chief opponent, former Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos, could "generate a war" if elected. Mockus says he respects Chávez. Mockus is popular with the urban middle class, though clearly more is at play. "He's a question mark," says political science professor Felipe Botero, "but people like him."