Second-Rate Dictators Club!

This article both amused and depressed me: amused because you have to wonder if Chavez and Lukashenko really take themselves seriously or are just being ridiculous to look good for their people; and depressed because of the way they're hurting the average Venezuelan and Belarussian. Seriously, though, if you were going to write an Onion article about the posturing of irrelevant countries, you'd probably pick these two. You'd write something like:

Venezuela, Belarus form strategic alliance in order to combat US hegemony

And then you'd have quotes like these:

"After a day of intensive work, we have created a strategic alliance between our countries," [Chavez] said, speaking through an interpreter. "It is absolutely vital to protect our homeland, to guard against internal and external threats. The jaws of imperialism and hegemonism have both us and Belarus in their grip."

Wait, those quotes are real? I see...

This is not good, either.