Chilean Literary Icon Antonio Skármeta Passes Away at 83

The celebrated author and former diplomat leaves a lasting legacy in literature and cultural diplomacy.

Antonio Skármeta, renowned for his novel 'Ardiente Paciencia,' which inspired the film 'Il Postino,' has died at the age of 83 in Santiago de Chile.
Skármeta's life was marked by his exile during the Pinochet regime, which brought him to West Berlin, where he continued his literary and theatrical work.
He returned to Chile after the dictatorship ended and later served as Chile's ambassador to Germany from 2000 to 2003.
Skármeta received numerous accolades, including the National Literature Prize of Chile in 2014 and the Spanish Planeta Prize in 2003.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric and the country's cultural ministry have praised Skármeta's enduring impact on Chilean culture and literature.