Marcela Alcázar Rodríguez, a 33-year-old actress, tragically passed away after consuming frog venom during a spiritual retreat in Mexico. The venom, known as Kambo, is derived from the skin of the Amazonian tree frog Phyllomedusa bicolor and is used in a cleansing ritual to trigger a detoxification process. After ingesting the substance, Marcela began vomiting and experiencing severe diarrhea, leading to her being rushed to a Red Cross hospital for treatment. Despite efforts from medics, she was unable to be saved, and an investigation has been launched by the Attorney General’s Office of the State of Durango to find the shaman who ran the retreat, Jonathan Fernando.
The Mexican production company, Mapache Films, with whom Marcela had collaborated, expressed their condolences to her family and friends in an Instagram post, mourning the loss of their colleague and friend. The Durango Film Guild also released a statement expressing their sadness over Marcela’s passing and the impact she had on the film industry. The president of the College of Psychologists of Mexico, Luis Manuel Naranjo, mentioned that symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting are considered a part of the “healing” process in the ritual of consuming Kambo, highlighting the cultural significance and beliefs surrounding the practice.
Kambo is a poisonous substance used in traditional medicine by some South American tribes, extracted by scraping the skin of the Phyllomedusa bicolor frog. In a kambo ceremony, the top layer of skin is blistered with a hot stick, and the substance is applied to open wounds. However, Kambo contains potentially toxic compounds that can lead to severe side effects such as vomiting, dizziness, fainting, swollen lips or face, seizures, or even death if consumed in large amounts. Due to these risks, Kambo is banned in many countries, but some tribes, like the Matis Indians in Brazil, continue to use it as part of their cultural practices, including injecting themselves with the poison as a coming-of-age ritual.
The intentions behind using Kambo in traditional rituals include purging toxins, psychological trauma, and negative energy from the body, but the substance’s potency and potential risks have raised concerns among medical professionals. The practice of consuming Kambo has gained popularity as part of a wellness trend, with many individuals traveling to the Amazon in search of alternative healing methods. Despite its brief calming effects, the intense pain caused by Kambo and the risk of serious adverse effects, including death, make it a controversial substance. The tragic death of Marcela Alcázar Rodríguez serves as a reminder of the dangers associated with consuming substances like Kambo without proper understanding and caution, emphasizing the need for awareness and regulation surrounding such practices.
