Chile exhumes remains of poet Pablo Neruda
- 11 years ago
Nobel Laureate Pablo Neruda is famous for his passionate love poems and staunch communist views. He is presumed to have died from prostate cancer in 1973.
But Neruda's former driver says the poet was poisoned in hospital under Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship. And now there will be a new investigation into his death.
Neruda was a supporter of socialist President Salvador Allende, who was toppled in a military coup about two weeks before the poet's death.
Neruda had planned to go into exile, but feeling ill, he postponed his trip for 24 hours to visit a clinic.
Historian Fernando Marin explains that Neruda had a urinary infection -- but was not on his death bed.
In hospital he was given an injection - and some believe this contained the poison that killed him.
Neruda's former driver is pleased that Chilean authorities have decided to exhume the body and investigate.
(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PABLO NERUDA'S CHAUFFEUR, MANUEL ARAYA, SAYING:
"Righ
But Neruda's former driver says the poet was poisoned in hospital under Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship. And now there will be a new investigation into his death.
Neruda was a supporter of socialist President Salvador Allende, who was toppled in a military coup about two weeks before the poet's death.
Neruda had planned to go into exile, but feeling ill, he postponed his trip for 24 hours to visit a clinic.
Historian Fernando Marin explains that Neruda had a urinary infection -- but was not on his death bed.
In hospital he was given an injection - and some believe this contained the poison that killed him.
Neruda's former driver is pleased that Chilean authorities have decided to exhume the body and investigate.
(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PABLO NERUDA'S CHAUFFEUR, MANUEL ARAYA, SAYING:
"Righ