The Occasional Observer

Hat tip to this TerpFan I work with for the title. It neatly summarizes the article below from the WSJ:

President Hugo Chávez said he ordered two F-16 jets to intercept a U.S. military plane that twice violated Venezuelan airspace on Friday in what he called the latest provocation in the South American nation's skies.

Separately, Mr. Chávez announced a currency devaluation for the first time since 2005. The president said Venezuela's currency, the bolivar, will now have two government-set rates depending on the use, either 2.60 to the dollar for transactions deemed priorities by the government or 4.30 to the dollar for other transactions. The currency's official exchange rate has been held by the government at 2.15 bolivars to the dollar. [My emphasis]

Heh. Heh. "Separately."

Guess it's just lucky we gave him a photo op that lined up simultaneously with him dropping the boom on Venezuelan consumers (i.e., "the people"). The WSJ slips in a little opinion on the matter. Guess they don't think it's serendipity:

The perceived threat of U.S. intervention has become a central element of Mr. Chávez's political discourse and a rallying cry for his supporters.