Honecker and his wife decided to move to Cuba in early 1993, since their daughter was already living there. Their daughter had married a Chilean refugee in the GDR (the German Democratic Republic, which the Western press called 'East Germany') during the 1970's and when Pinochet was finally shown the door, they both returned to Chile.

Honecker had just been through a series of trials in Germany and once the justice system was done, he was able to leave Germany. The money for the trip was raised by private donations.

Erich Honecker did not live that long in Chile, as he died from liver cancer in 1994. His wife, Margot, just recently passed away.

To this day, many in Chile are grateful to the GDR which took in some Chilean refugees from the Pinochet terror of the 1970's.