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Witness History: The mysterious death of Pablo Neruda

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The mysterious death of Pablo Neruda

20/12/2023 GMT

BBC World Service - Witness History, The mysterious death of Pablo Neruda

In 1973, the poet and prominent communist tried to flee persecution in Chile

In 1973, poet and prominent communist Pablo Neruda attempted to escape Chile as leftists were rounded up and killed.

In late 1973, Chile was in turmoil. General Augusto Pinochet had led a military coup deposing the socialist president Salvador Allende who was now dead.

The army was rounding up leftists; torturing, imprisoning and killing them.

In the capital Santiago, the country’s best-known poet Pablo Neruda was lying in a hospital bed. He was 69 and had cancer.

As a prominent member of the Communist Party his life was in danger. He had to get out.

With him was his driver and personal assistant Manuel Araya who spoke to Gideon Long.

(Photo : The poet in 1963. Credit: Angelo Cozzi/Mondadori/Getty Images)

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