President snubs his opponents
The week's news at a glance.
Caracas
Opposition groups vowed to shut down Venezuela with a general strike after President Hugo Chavez laughed off their call for early elections. The anti-Chavez front includes the South American country’s largest labor union as well as leading business groups, which accuse Chavez of sending the oil-rich nation’s economy into a free fall. Chavez—a populist who touts his friendship with Fidel Castro—survived a coup attempt in April and said neither violence nor political pressure could force him to step down before his term ends in 2007. Besides, he said, the constitution his allies pushed through in 1999 makes no provision for replacing an elected leader. “I’d call early elections just to beat them once more if the constitution permitted it,” Chavez said.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
A little-visited Indian Ocean archipelago
The Week Recommends The paradise of the Union of the Comoros features beautiful beaches, colourful coral reefs and lush forests
-
AI: is the bubble about to burst?
In the Spotlight Stock market ever-more reliant on tech stocks whose value relies on assumptions of continued growth and easy financing
-
Crossword: October 19, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle