Weekly Report - 2 March 2004

Venezuela's opposition has decided not to recognise any longer the authority of the CNE, the electoral council, and has called on its supporters to launch a campaign of `peaceful resistance'. This has already, through a succession of daily demonstrations and clashes with the national guard, left a toll of three dead and more than 50 injured, many by gunfire. The opposition says it is responding to a government bid to deny the people their right to vote President Hugo Chávez out of office; the government says the opposition is once again trying to overthrow the government by force.