Pablo Neruda

Wow! What a big question! I really don't know… I mean… many Chileans built this country, so I cannot say who the best is. 

The only thing that I can say is that the one who I admire most is Pablo Neruda and not only because his wonderful poetry of many different topics for all kind of people; but also because his social interest and ideology.

This man is one of the greatest poets of the XX century. He directed and collaborated in many magazines and newspapers and published a lot of articles, books and poems: the first one was Enthusiasm y Perseverance and the most famous (I guest) is Twenty poems of love and one desperate song. 

His work influenced many other artists, not only writers as Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Federico Garcia Lorca, but also musicians like Los Jaivas or Angel Parra. 

In 1971, he won the Nobel Prize in Literature, the most important international recognition for a writer.

His public image was related to his international diplomacy as ambassador and his militancy on the communist party. Unfortunately it ends really badly. He had to live in exile because of his denunciation of horrible act of violent repression from part of the Government and back in Chile he died in 1973, 8 days after the coup d'État.

In 1974, after his death, his autobiography entitled I confess that I have lived was published. 

I’m sure that he had a natural talent, but anyway I would like to ask him: what his biggest inspiration was? Why he refused to be the President of Chile? And did he really die of cancer?