Who killed Pablo Neruda?

Allende and Neruda

An investigation is to be opened into the death of Pablo Neruda, one of Latin America´s greatest ever poets. Neruda died just twelve days after the military coup of 1973 which saw his close friend, President Salvador Allende, die in the violent bombardment and storming of the Presidential Palace La Moneda. As a communist and committed supporter of the Popular Unity government of Allende, Neruda would have been a prominent opponent of the regime and in the short time between the coup and his death he was openly critical of what was occurring in his beloved Chile. It has been alleged that poison was injected into his stomach as he lay in hospital with cancer.

As one of the greatest figures in Chilean history, alongside the likes of O'Higgins, Prat and Allende, any findings of foul play over Neruda's death, certainly within the realms of possibility, would be likely to trigger a wave of emotion. But it doesn't come as much of a surprise that many people believe he was murdered. The military dictatorship wiped out vast numbers of people who were supporters of the Popular Unity or other leftist political parties, regardless of their stature. Journalists, priests, academics, musicians (including, of course, Victor Jara), and other people in high profile positions were among those disappeared. But Neruda's international fame and recognition thanks to decades of poems culminating in the Nobel Prize in 1973 would have made it impossible for the forces of Pinochet to imprison him or murder him. It would have provoked an international outcry.

Although Neruda was terminally ill with cancer, he had been a strong and visible supporter of Allende's government. His presence had galvanised many Chileans in support of Allende and raised the Popular Unity's profile internationally. Neruda was in poor health but witnesses have claimed that the day before his death he was in good spirits and seemed like he was still holding off the cancer. His death from heart failure came suddenly.

It is absolutely certain that Neruda's death would have been in the best interests of the military junta which had just grasped control of the country and was governing with an unrelenting iron fist. The poet's praise of such Latin American leftist heroes such as Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and Allende made him an enemy of the military, now operating as a totalitarian regime that showed no compassion towards its opponents. As Neruda lay in hospital, it would have been simple for military agents to end his life and make it seem like natural causes.

In the ensuing years, Pinochet and his minions did their best to undermine the influence of Neruda and erase his legacy. The concerted effort made by the Pinochet forces certainly suggests that, had he lived, he would have been a serious adversary. History shows us that the dictatorship's answer to such matters was swift and merciless. An investigation into the poet's death is definitely warranted.

Here is the Guardian's report:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/01/chile-pinochet-murder-pablo-neruda

And from the Chilean newspaper La Tercera (in Spanish):

http://www.latercera.com/noticia/nacional/2011/06/680-370235-9-ministro-carroza-acepta-investigar-la-muerte-de-pablo-neruda.shtml