In a unanimous ruling, the First Chamber of the Court of Appeals of Santiago has decided to reopen the investigation into the death of Nobel laureate Pablo Neruda. This decision is in relation to recent developments that cast doubt on the official cause of Neruda’s demise.
In December, the reopening of the case was rejected which subsequently led to an appeal. The appeals court unanimously reversed the prior judge’s ruling, emphasizing the need for a thorough examination into Neruda’s death. The court recognized that the investigation remained incomplete and called for the implementation of additional procedures, which could conceivably aid in the discovery of the truth.
The ordered investigative procedures include a more comprehensive review of forensic test findings and an analysis of the handwriting on the death certificate. Pablo Neruda, a renowned poet and political activist, died in 1973, shortly following Chile’s US-backed coup which led to the overthrow of the democratically elected leader Salvador Allende.
Despite official causes listing death by cancer, allegations of foul play have consistently surrounded the event, with recent claims of poisoning further supported by forensic evidence, consequently invigorating suspicions of political interference in Neruda’s death. In February 2023, a forensic team from Canada, Denmark, and Chile unearthed evidence pointing towards the possibility that Neruda may have been poisoned over 50 years ago. Findings of the lethal toxin— Cloristridium botulinum in his remains contradicts the official story, renewing calls for a thorough investigation.