Chiliean poet Pablo Neruda did not die of prostate cancer

Forensic expects have said that Chiliean poet Pablo Neruda did not die of prostate cancer like previously believed.

The Nobel Laureate was said to have died of prostate cancer on 23 September 1973, 12 days after the military coup led by General Augusto Pinochet.

Neruda was known for his passionate love poems and unwavering communist views.

His former driver Manuel Araya had always maintained that Neruda actually died after being poisoned by the secret service. He claimed that Pinochet’s agents took advantage of Neruda’s sickness to inject poison while he was in hospital.

"Neruda was murdered. They didn't want Neruda to leave the country so they killed him."

His body was exhumed in 2013 to determine the cause of death, but those tests showed no toxic agents in his bones. 

New tests on Neruda's remains have now confirmed he did not die of cancer, but have yet to reveal the actual cause.

Spanish forensic specialist Aurelio Luna from the University of Murcia said that his team discovered something that could possibly be a laboratory-cultivated bacteria which will be further analysed.

Luna said that the tests indicated that death from prostrate cancer was not likely at the moment when Neruda died.

"We cannot confirm if the nature of Pablo Neruda's death was natural or violent," he added.