Reopening of the Investigation into Pablo Neruda’s Death

Former Health Director of the Army, Eduardo Arriagada Rehren, who was handed down a 20-year sentence for his role in a separate homicide, is now being called upon to testify in a newly reopened investigation.

The investigation in question revolves around the death of Chilean poet and Nobel Laureate, Pablo Neruda, who passed away under mysterious circumstances. These events led to the speculation that Neruda might have been poisoned during the reign of Augusto Pinochet.

The initial ruling to archive the case was issued by Judge Paola Plaza. However, the First Chamber of the appeal court in Santiago de Chile has unanimously voted to nullify that resolution. They argue that the investigation has not run its full course and that there are still specific procedures that could potentially shed light on the facts surrounding Neruda’s death.

The Chilean Justice has specifically directed that a new graphological analysis be conducted on the death certificate, originally issued by Dr. Roberto Vargas Salazar. Alongside this, an examination of the 2017 results published by academics from McMaster and Copenhagen Universities is also being requested.

The court has also issued summons to Peter Kornbluh, an analyst known for his expertise in US interference during the 1973 coup, and the aforementioned Eduardo Arriagada Rehren. Both individuals are expected to provide testimonies to aid the investigation.

Arriagada is particularly being called upon to provide insight into his intelligence work, specifically work involving ‘costridium botulinum’. He is also expected to discuss events similar to those that led to the death of communist activist Archibaldo Morales Villanueva, a journalist for the newspaper ‘La Región’, who died in the San Fernando prison.

PABLO NERUDA’S DEATH

Pablo Neruda, a celebrated Chilean writer and member of the Communist Party’s Central Committee, passed away on September 23, 1973. His death occurred just two weeks after the coup d’état led by Pinochet, which resulted in the overthrow of socialist president Salvador Allende.

Manuel Araya, who served as Neruda’s driver and personal assistant, has consistently refuted the theory that Neruda’s death was due to advanced prostate cancer. Instead, he asserts that Neruda was murdered during the Pinochet regime.

Araya alleges that Neruda was administered a “deadly injection” by regime agents while he was at the Santa María clinic. Interestingly, former president Eduardo Frei also died under mysterious circumstances at the same clinic nine years later.

Adding weight to these claims, Rodolfo Reyes, who is both a lawyer and Neruda’s nephew, has argued that a significant quantity of ‘costridium botulinum’ was found in Neruda’s remains. This pathogenic bacteria can cause botulism, a disease caused by a toxin that attacks the body’s nerves.