Venezuelan oil to Belarus: Poor strategy by Chavez and Lukashenko

No one in his,her right mind would import a product from a source located on the other side of the world if there are neighbors who can supply it. Iran, Iraq, the Middle East and, of course, Russia, are much closer to Belarus than Venezuela. It takes about one month for the Venezuelan oil to get there. Belarus is buying one cargo of some 500,000 barrels of Venezuelan oil because Russia cut its supplies due to poor payment performance. Apparently Chavez does not care if Belarus pays or not as long as he looks like a geopolitical main player.
The guy is so stupid, however, that by sending oil to Belarus he is undermining Russia at a time in which he is trying to establish closer ties with Putin. He cannot be in good terms with both Putin and Lukanshenko. By pleasing Lukashenko he is displeasing Putin.