Infodemic: Embattled Lukashenko’s Covid-19 U-turn; protests in Jordan
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As protests in Belarus grow, there are plenty of indicators that the nation’s dictator, President Alexander Lukashenko, is becoming desperate. He has:
- Tried to hold counter-rallies in support of his government
- Detained and then released hundreds of demonstrators
- And even asked Russia’s President Vladimir Putin — a man Lukashenko loves to hate — for help
But here’s a sign of panic that you may have missed: he has abandoned his trademark coronavirus denialism and accused the opposition of breaking social distancing rules.
“Are they wearing masks? Are they socially distancing?” Lukashenko asked at a rally hastily organized by the government to distract attention from much larger protests against presidential election results that gave him an 80%. He also said that he had done “everything to keep people safe” from Covid-19.