Antonio Bolivar Dies From Coronavirus: ‘Embrace Of The Serpent’ Actor Was 72

Antonio Bolívar, who played the shaman Karamakate in Ciro Guerra’s Oscar-nominated feature Embrace of the Serpent, has died at the age of 72 after being hospitalized with coronavirus.

Bolívar was a member of the Huitoto indigenous people and was one of the last of his tribe. Reps for Guerra, who directed the film, confirmed Bolívar’s death to Deadline.

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

Bolívar was also a translator of indigenous languages, including Tikuna and Cubeo, which are spoken among the inhabitants of the Orinoco and Amazon region. On the acting side, he also appeared in Guerra’s Netflix series Green Frontier.

Embrace of the Serpent premiered in Cannes Director’s Fortnight in 2015 and went on to be Oscar nominated in the foreign-language film category.