SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Walter Mercado, a flamboyant astrologer and television personality whose daily TV appearances entertained many across Latin America and the U.S. for more than a decade, has died. He was 88.

Hospital spokeswoman Sofia Luquis said Sunday that Mercado died from kidney failure at the Auxilio Mutuo Hospital in San Juan late Saturday. He had been living in the suburb of Cupey and had spent several days in the hospital before his death.

Mercado was born in Ponce, one of Puerto Rico’s largest cities. He worked briefly for TV stations based in the U.S. Caribbean territory before moving to South Florida.

There, he gained fame for his daily horoscope segment on Spanish-language TV, delivered in a dramatic fashion with an exaggerated trilling of the “r” sound.

Mercado never publicly stated his sexuality, but he was an icon in the gay community as someone who challenged the conservative television culture in Latin America.