“Bomb the Clouds”

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez is encouraging Cuban scientists to “bomb clouds” with aircraft in order to stimulate rainfall during sever droughts caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon. The public has been recently outraged by severe water and electricity rationing – even being asked to take three-minute showers – and Chavez appears determined to appease the public by appearing to take action. He has invited the Cubans to fly specially equipped aircraft above the Orinoco river and he has vowed to accompany them on their expedition. “I’m going in a plane; any cloud that crosses me, I’ll zap it so that it rains,” Chavez said at a ceremony late on Saturday.