She was born Isabel Apolonia García Hernández on April 10th 1933 in Central Lugareño, Cuba, to a Cuban father and Mexican mother.
Chelo began dancing in Havana at age 17, achieving some notoriety. She mentioned having been married at this time, but details of this marriage are unknown. She was divorced and then proposed to by a prince in Singapore. In 1957 she moved to Paris to become a star attraction at the Folies Bergère, where she was billed as the "Cuban H-Bomb".
Within 2 years the Italian film industry came calling and for several brief but glorious years she became one of the biggest stars of the then-booming peplum genre. At this time she was romantically linked to actor Livio Lorenzon, with whom she appeared in a number of films.
On the set of Morgan il pirata, Chelo met the film's producer, Aldo Pomilia. They became romantically involved and were married in 1961. They would remain married until his death in 1986. In 1962, Chelo gave birth to a son, Aldino, and, having appeared in 16 films in just 3 years, she effectively retired from the screen to concentrate on her family.
In 1966 she made a cameo appearance in Sergio Leone's Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo, which was produced by her husband. She would make 2 final films at the close of the 60's before retiring from films for good. She did reportedly make some television appearances in the 70's.
Following the death of her husband she moved to Tuscany, where she is rumoured to have operated a hotel and bred cats.
Chelo died in Mentana, Italy on February 20th 2019, aged 85.
- Guardatele ma non toccatele .... Pepita Garcia (credited)
- I Reali di Francia .... Suleima (credited)
- Il terrore dei barbari .... Landa (credited)
- La scimitarra del saraceno .... Princess Miriam (credited)
- Nel segno di Roma .... Erica (credited)
- Tunisi top secret .... unknown role (poster credit)
1960 - Gastone .... Carmencita (credited as "Chelo Alonzo")
- Il terrore della maschera rossa .... Karima (credited)
- La regina dei tartari .... Tanya (credited)
- La strada dei giganti .... Stella Von Kruger (credited)
- Le signore .... Rosario (credited)
- Maciste nella valle dei Re .... Queen Smedes (credited)
- Morgan il pirata .... Concepción (credited)
1961 - La ragazza sotto il lenzuolo .... Maria Celeste Cortez d'Aragona (credited)
- Maciste nella terra dei ciclopi .... Capys (credited)
1962 - Quattro notti con Alba .... Alba Petti (poster credit - unconfirmed role)
1966 - Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo .... Steven's wife (uncredited)
1968 - Corri uomo corri .... Dolores (credited)
1969 - La notte dei serpenti .... Dolores (credited)