Chávez Goes Cellular


THE STING Spanish King Juan Carlos I made headlines when he cut off a ranting Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez at a Chilean summit by saying "Why don't you shut up?" Now the comment has become a cultural phenomenon.

THE RING Technophiles turned the retort into a ringtone. More than half a million people have downloaded it, generating more than $2 million in profits. While the tone struck a chord with Spanish cell-phone users, Venezuelans are also getting involved--some students are downloading the ringtone as a form of protest against Chávez.