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Was the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda poisoned a few days after the military coup of 11 September 1973? This is what the poet's family firmly believes.
With our correspondent in Santiago , Justine Fontaine
Communist poet and well-known supporter of the overthrown socialist president, Salvador Allende, for his family, Pablo Neruda was poisoned. In 2013, the body of the poet was exhumed to verify whether or not he died of his cancer. But one last expertise is still missing to confirm one hundred percent the results of the analyzes. Today, Neruda's family accuses the Forensic Institute of Santiago of obstructing justice.
Three small laboratory flasks, filled with soil: that's what is missing to close the scientific expertise in the Neruda case.
Two years ago, a dozen international experts had established the presence in large quantities of a paralyzing substance in the body of the poet. But the soil around the grave of the Communist militant still had to be analyzed, to be sure that the contamination was not after his death.
A new sample analysis
But according to the family's lawyer, Rodolfo Reyes, also the poet's nephew, the forensic service has so far refused to make the samples available to the courts.
" The forensic institute claimed that it did not have them, that they had been used for other analyzes. But during an orderly search this Thursday, July 25, by the judge Mario Carroza forensic service, the bottles were found. It is inexplicable that the service could lie to the judge. This has had very negative consequences in this Neruda case, "said the poet's nephew.
The investigation carried out by the Chilean justice has indeed been delayed by several months. From now on, Pablo Neruda's family is hopeful that the samples will be quickly sent to the Canadian laboratory for the latest analysis in this case.