Bolivian general Gary Prado Salmon, who captured communist revolutionary icon Ernesto "Che" Guevara in 1967, died on Saturday aged 84, his son revealed on social media.

"He was accompanied by his wife and children," wrote Gary Prado Arauz on Facebook.

"He left us a legacy of love, honesty and mettle. He was an amazing person."

Prado Salmon was in charge of a patrol in southwestern Bolivia on October 8, 1967, that captured the Argentine revolutionary, who was injured during the military operation.

A day later, the Bolivian military executed Guevara, who had made his name alongside Fidel Castro during the Cuban communist revolution.

Since mid-April, Prado Salmon had been suffering from health complications and was receiving hospital treatment.

Bolivia's congress declared him a national hero for his role in Guevara's capture.

Prado Salmon was left paralyzed after being accidentally shot in the spine in 1981. He retired from the military in 1988.