BELARUS: Better to be a Dictator than Being Gay??

In this provocative Flashback Friday episode of The Radio Vagabond , I travel to Belarus – often called "Europe's last dictatorship" – to uncover the lived reality of life under Alexander Lukashenko. As I meet locals and explore Minsk, I ask a bold question: are there bright sides to this autocratic system? Some people credit the regime with preserving economic stability post-USSR, keeping unemployment low and averting the oligarchic chaos seen elsewhere. They say limited online freedoms – like the ability to access opposition sites – create an illusion of choice. But the darker truth sits just beneath the surface. Lukashenko's heavy censorship, the criminalization of dissent – even for wearing "wrong" socks – and the ongoing use of capital punishment paint a grim picture. This episode digs into these contradictions. I speak with people benefiting from economic predictability, then confront the chilling reality of repression and human rights abuses. It's a travel story that challenges assumptions – and raises uncomfortable questions. See pictures and read more on This Flashback Friday episode was first released on May 10, 2021.

You can listen to BELARUS: Better to be a Dictator than Being Gay?? online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

BELARUS: Better to be a Dictator than Being Gay?? is an episode from Radiovagabond | Inspiration til at rejse jorden rundt by Palle Bo.

This episode is 27:01 long.

This episode was published on Aug 22, 2025.

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