The New York TimesThe New York Times

Who was Pablo Neruda and why is his death a mystery?

By Flávia Milhorance

16 Feb 2023 · 5 min read

Editor's Note

Forensic experts found that Chilean poet and Nobel Prize winner Pablo Neruda died of poisoning 50 years ago, leaving open the question of whether he was murdered, as many suspect. The NYT reports.

Fifty years on, the true cause of death of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, in the wake of the country’s 1973 coup, has remained in doubt across the world.

The Nobel laureate was not only one of the world’s most celebrated poets but also one of Chile’s most influential political activists. An outspoken communist, he supported Salvador Allende, Chile’s leftist president from 1970 to 1973, and worked in his administration.

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