Venezuela’s efforts to combat severe drought conditions may include President Hugo Chavez going airborne with scientists as they try to generate rain from clouds.

Chavez has said a team of Cuban scientists are in Venezuela to fly aircraft with special equipment designed to influence weather patterns, specifically to bring on much-needed precipitation.

“I’m going in a plane; any cloud that crosses me, I’ll zap it so that it rains,” Chavez said late Saturday, according to Reuters.

Brings to mind China’s cloud tinkering during the Olympics and Beijing’s most recent set of snowfalls. Not that Hu Jintao will be manning the cockpit anytime soon.

Image: Slate