SANTIAGO, April 8 – RAPSI. Chilean authorities have begun to exhume the body of world-renowned poet and Nobel laureate Pablo Neruda based on allegations that his death may in fact have been the result of an assassination ordered by the Pinochet regime rather than prostate cancer, as previous suspected, Spanish news agency El Mundo reported Sunday.

The poet, who died suddenly in 1973, is buried alongside his last wife Matilde Urrutia in the garden of his Isla Negra home, about 100 kilometers from Santiago.

Various observers were on hand to monitor the exhumation, including Chilean judge Mario Carrozo of the Santiago Court of Appeals, who ordered it as part of an investigation into the poet’s death.

The body will be transferred to a lab in Santiago after having been dug up in order to be x-rayed and subjected to various examinations aimed at determining whether his prostate cancer was sufficiently advanced at time of death to have killed him.

Local news agency The Santiago Times reported that the investigation was launched after Neruda’s former chauffer went public with claims that Neruda was, in fact, murdered.

The poet died just 12 days after General Augusto Pinochet seized control of Chile by way of a coup d’état.

The Santiago Times reported that chauffer Manuel Araya recounted Neruda having been in good health as he prepared to escape Pinochet’s Chile, and then having suddenly become feverish. Araya claimed that Pinochet begged him, “Come quickly, because while I was sleeping a doctor came in and gave me an injection.” Araya then reportedly attempted to procure medicine for Neruda, but was arrested en route. He learned of his boss’ demise upon being released.

Pinochet’s regime is alleged to have committed an array of crimes against humanity. According to an opinion issued by the UK House of Lords, “It is alleged that [from 11 September 1973 until 11 March 1990] there took place in Chile various crimes against humanity (torture, hostage taking and murder) for which he was knowingly responsible.”