The World - News from Oct. 24, 1988

Thousands of Chileans gathered at a Santiago rally called by leftist parties and chanted slogans calling for the resignation of President Augusto Pinochet. Many at the rally urged their leaders to call a national strike to put pressure on Pinochet to step down immediately. Pinochet lost an Oct. 5 referendum, but under the constitution may stay in office until three months after a December, 1989, election to choose his successor. The opposition seeks negotiations with Chile’s military to speed up the transition to full democracy through an earlier election. Pinochet, who is also army commander, has said the constitution will not be changed.