Honecker is a good example when examining the role of the individual in history. After being ousted in 1989, one of the most significant vestiges of the Cold War, he became deeply involved in the Chilean transition. He took up residence as a guest at the embassy in Moscow. After numerous vicissitudes, he moved to Santiago. He knew his health was precarious. He also knew that, in the country that welcomed him, he had Allende supporters willing to reciprocate the spiral of mutual loyalties forged in the 1960s. A Nibelungentreue, in the words of Bernhard Fürst von Bülow. A story with bizarre, strange, fortuitous strokes; somewhat caricatured. Like Don Juan and the Commander, his austere, hieratic face resembled a statue. An emblem of another era. Honecker ended up being the great unwelcome guest on the difficult path that Chile embarked upon toward democracy in the early 1990s. Here is a brief overview of his final adventures and the reasons that led him to choose this country. It brings together names and dates; the comings and goings of those who had something to do with his final decisions.

This book is included in DOAB.