Coronavirus Outbreak: Antonio Bolivar, best known for Embrace of the Serpent, passes away aged 72

Actor Antonio Bolivar, who starred in Oscar-nominated feature Embrace of the Serpent, has died of coronavirus. He was 72.

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According to a report in The City Paper Bogota, Bolivar was admitted to a hospital in Leticia, Colombia, last week with COVID-19 symptoms and passed away on 1 May.

He is survived by his wife Celina and son Pedro.

The actor played the shaman Karamakate in Embrace of the Serpent, directed by Ciro Guerra.

The film premiered in Cannes Director’s Fortnight in 2015 and went on to become the first Colombian film ever to receive a nomination for the best foreign film Academy Award and also reach the final five.

Bolivar was a member of the Huitoto indigenous people in southeastern Colombia and northern Peru, and was one of the last of his tribe.

He was also a translator of indigenous languages, including Tikuna and Cubeo, which are spoken among the inhabitants of the Orinoco and Amazon region.

Bolivar recently starred Netflix 2019 miniseries Green Frontier, which was also directed by Guerra.

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(With inputs from Press Trust of India)