08/17/2020 - 17:16
- Clarín.com
- World
Alexandre Lukashenko has never been so questioned in the 26 years he has ruled Belarus with an iron fist . True to his implacable and capricious style, he remains inflexible, assuming himself as the guarantor of the independence of his country.
"I will never do anything under pressure," the Belarusian president warned on Monday, when meeting workers at a heavy-duty vehicle factory, who booed him.
Lukashenko, 65, has already been accused of having ordered the killing or imprisonment of many critics . But it no longer seems to inspire terror in the former Soviet republic of 9.5 million people.
The first four nights after his disputed re-election on August 9 to a sixth term with 80% of the votes , which the opposition denounces as fraudulent , were repressed by riot control forces, leaving two dead and dozens injured, and thousands of detained.
Workers march against Lukashenko in Minsk. AP Photo
However, the mobilization became even stronger and the opposition organized the largest concentration in its history on Sunday.
In social networks and in rallies of hundreds or even thousands of people, many make fun of him, nickname him "mustached cockroach" because of his mustache or "Sacha 3%", a diminutive of his name associated with the supposed popularity he enjoys according to his detractors.
Lukashenko now presents himself as a defender of independence in the face of attempts to impose, according to him, "a government from abroad . "
In a speech before the vote, he lashed out at those who criticize him, whom he considers ungrateful children. " I have fed them all with my breast! " He proclaimed, presenting himself as the father of the nation.
The strongest protests were on Sunday, the largest in almost 30 years. AP Photo
For a long time he was nicknamed Batka ("father") and enjoyed popularity, especially in rural areas and among generations nostalgic for the Soviet Union.
In the 1980s he ran collective farms and was elected president in 1994, after independence, with a populist and anti-corruption message.
He rejected the capitalist turn, preferring a state-dominated political and economic system in which he maintained the Soviet symbolism . The opposition is harassed, freedom of speech is under surveillance, and the state security agency is called KGB, an acronym that gives chills in many countries.
Today Lukashenko continues to claim this system and assures that without it the country would "fall apart".
The Belarusian president likes to pose in the field, in a military uniform or on a hockey rink . With his typical eloquence, he advocates agricultural work, the sauna and a little vodka in the face of the new coronavirus pandemic.
In July, he bragged about being infected and having gone through the disease without stopping working.
In the election, Lukashenko, a father of three who gladly cultivates a macho image, faced an unexpected trio of women , led by candidate Svetlana Tijanóvskaya, whom he calls "poor girl" or "little thing."
The opposition demands new elections, as it considers Lukashenko's victory fraudulent. Photo EFE
Belarusian Nobel Prize Winner for Literature Svetlana Alexievich believes that Lukashenko was wrong in believing that he could continue to "instill fear" in society.
"A new generation has become adults and the elderly have awakened. They are not the same people as 26 years ago," he said in a recent interview with US radio RFE / RL.
Lukashenko also faces tensions with the Russian older brother , to the point of accusing Moscow before the elections of electoral interference.
In difficulty, he changed his tone: he indicated over the weekend that he had received assurances from Russian President Vladimir Putin about "help" to ensure security.
Lukashenko resisted years of European sanctions, which he finally managed to lift in 2016 by maneuvering thanks to his position between the EU and Russia.
But after the elections, the European Union has approved sanctions against Belarusian officials and the United Kingdom also says it wants to punish those responsible for the repression.
Source: AFP
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