Beltway Confidential

Belarus is making history. The US should pay close attention

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Published August 9, 2020 4:00am ET
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Belarus is making history. The US should pay close attention
A Nigerien soldier provides rear security for his squad while they performed a dismounted patrol during Exercise Flintlock 2017 in Diffa, Niger, March 11, 2017. Flintlock exercises strengthen security institutions, promote multilateral sharing of information, and develop interoperability among partner nations in the Trans-Sahara. | U.S. Army photo by Spc. Zayid Ballesteros

The current front-runner in the Belarusian presidential race is Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. If she wins this Sunday’s election, it will mark a revolution in Belarusian politics.

Belarus declared independence nearly 30 years ago when the Soviet Union collapsed. Yet, its political system has been so corrupt for so long, it is still called “Europe’s last dictatorship.” That system has been kind to Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, who has been in power for the last 26 years.

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Belarus Democracy Russia Vladimir Putin