Court Orders New Steps to Clarify Cause of Nobel Prize Winner’s Death
An appeals court in Santiago, Chile, has made a significant ruling on Tuesday, deciding to reopen the case surrounding the death of renowned Chilean poet and Nobel Prize laureate, Pablo Neruda. The court stated that the investigation into Neruda’s death has not been fully exhausted and that new measures could potentially shed light on the true cause of his passing.
Controversy Over Cause of Death
Last December, a judge had previously denied a request by Neruda’s nephew to revisit the case, which sought to explore alternative causes of death beyond the officially recorded prostate cancer. However, in February 2023, Neruda’s nephew, Rodolfo Reyes, revealed findings from forensic experts in Canada, Denmark, and Chile suggesting that Neruda may have been poisoned more than five decades ago. The experts’ tests indicated the presence of a lethal amount of Cloristridium botulinum in Neruda’s system, a toxin incompatible with human life.
Appeals Court Overturns Previous Ruling
In a unanimous decision, the appeals court overturned the prior judgment and mandated the implementation of the nephew’s requested investigative procedures. These steps include an analysis of the death certificate’s handwriting, a comprehensive review of foreign forensic test results, and the summoning of testimonies from relevant experts and documentation project officials in Chile.
Legacy and Political Context
Pablo Neruda, a prominent Communist Party member, passed away just 12 days after the 1973 military coup that ousted President Salvador Allende’s government in Chile. His death occurred shortly before he was scheduled to depart for exile in Mexico. The coup led by General Augusto Pinochet installed a dictatorship in Chile, prompting suspicions that Neruda’s death may have been politically motivated.
Despite past inconclusive tests after Neruda’s exhumation in 2013, subsequent discoveries of Clostridium botulinum fragments in his remains have fueled ongoing speculation regarding foul play in his demise. Neruda’s family and advocates have persistently sought further investigations into the circumstances surrounding his death.
Pablo Neruda, celebrated for his iconic love poems, was a close associate of President Allende, whose tragic end during the coup profoundly impacted the poet. The decision to reopen the investigation into Neruda’s death marks a pivotal moment in Chile’s post-coup history and serves as a testament to the enduring legacy of the Nobel Prize-winning poet.