Pavel Pavlovich Latushko: Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus, Head of the National Anti-Crisis Management, Ambassador
Today we will have an evening of stories. Remember when we were learning English, "Once upon a time" ... But seriously, there are indeed three stories about how Lukashenko and his officials were blown away by the wind.
The first story: Dmitry Nekroutsky
How the new head of the Lukashenko Presidential Administration, who was sent to deal with the disaster in Gomel Region, hid in the forest and was too afraid to visit people who had been without power and water for several days.
Why was a state of emergency declared in Gomel Region? Was it so that people could save themselves? In Lukashenko's system, a state of emergency more often means not that all efforts should be directed towards helping people, but that it is dangerous for officials to go there: they will face questions they cannot answer and be unable to provide any assistance.
The authorities did not respond for an entire day, leaving people alone with the devastating aftermath of the storm. At a time when help was truly needed, people were left to fend for themselves.
And Dmitry Nekroutsky, whom Lukashenko sent to handle the situation, ended up simply going into the forest to look at the fallen trees. What is this? It is complete indifference to the people and avoidance of responsibility. It is also the sheer cowardice of a regime official. The regime is terrified of facing affected citizens directly (as opposed to the carefully selected crowds usually arranged for Lukashenko's or other high-ranking officials' visits). The showy regime fears hearing the truth about its ineffectiveness and inability to handle a crisis. And this is exactly what it demonstrated to the residents of the region.
However, Belarusians themselves, much like during the COVID pandemic, showed incredible resilience and self-organization. People cleared debris, sawed fallen trees to access water, and those with generators shared electricity with their neighbors. Belarusians took action on their own, without waiting for assistance from those who were supposed to provide it.
And yet today, the dictator managed to accuse them, to accuse ordinary people who actually pay taxes and sustain Lukashenko and officials like him — those who are supposed to protect them. The dictator believes that people shouldn't expect anything and certainly shouldn't express any dissatisfaction.
With such a "strong leader," it's no surprise that his officials see themselves as "important" — but only until a serious crisis hits. In such cases, they prefer to hide in their offices or, like Dmitry Nekroutsky, in the forest. They care only about their own hides and positions, not about what people think of their work.
Belarusians deserve better!
The second story: The Tales of Elena Pavlichko
Lukashenko's officials, as usual, work not for the people but for their superiors. Elena Pavlichko, the Chairwoman of the Mozyr District Executive Committee, reports on video the successful resolution of nearly all issues, but the reality is quite different.
For the residents of the affected regions, this appears to be a blatant mockery. Most people are genuinely surprised to hear that they already have water and electricity in their homes. The actual situation in the regions is completely contrary to what the official depicts. In the forested areas, exposed wires lie around, some stores were closed, and in the entire 100,000-strong city, authorities distributed drinking water at only six locations, which many elderly residents simply couldn't reach. There was only one gas station open for the whole city, and there was no SMS notification system.
This dissonance between the official's statements and the real situation causes confusion and anger among the people. A fair question arises: who are the officials actually working for? Instead of providing real help to those affected by the storm and offering accurate information, officials are trying to please their superiors by painting a rosy picture that bears no relation to reality.
And this is not just a problem with this specific case. It is a problem with the entire vertical power system that Lukashenko has built over 30 years of rule. Officials do not want to acknowledge reality; they are engaged in continuous self-deception and the creation of illusions of their vigorous activity. By covering for themselves in front of their boss, they inflict enormous harm on the entire country and the Belarusian people. A system built on servility and sycophancy is incapable of solving real problems.
Lukashenko may continue to treat people like fools, praise, and reward his officials, but the facts speak for themselves. The incompetence of officials cannot be hidden under the steamroller of repression. When people encounter officials like Elena Pavlechko, no amount of propaganda can convince them that these officials are performing well.
Belarusians need better governance, with local authorities elected in genuine elections and accountable to the people, rather than appointed figureheads who obscure any reality, clinging to their lowly positions with their little blue fingers. We need a system where problems are addressed, not covered up, and where there is genuine respect between the local official and the people, and vice versa.
The third story : Lukashenko and the Helicopter
What was Lukashenko doing while a city of 100,000 people endured days without water and electricity? Drinking champagne in his palace! He didn’t visit the people, didn’t go to Mozyr, and from his office (not yet from the bunker) berated Belarusians for complaining about the state’s passivity. Again, the people aren’t to his liking!
Why didn’t Lukashenko fly to Mozyr — the lover of “sudden” arrivals, like a magician with his helicopter, following a pre-planned script to play the role of a stern and just ruler? Why not this time? The “people’s leader” didn’t go to his “own” people. Was he afraid to hear another “go away” from the people like at the MZKT or something harsher? This is not like 2020, when he would fly around with an unloaded gun and only come out from behind the fence after people had already left.
And where is the help from Lukashenko’s “big brother” during the emergency? Did Russia offer any support to its ally in the affected region? Or can they only send combat drones to Belarus and drop them near settlements?
By the way, what about the nuclear power plant? The usurper is so proud of his nuclear toy, yet people were left without electricity for several days. What is the energy from the nuclear plant being used for? Promises of energy stability crumbled in the face of the first serious crisis. It turns out this is not a critical object for the country but a $10 billion PR stunt by Lukashenko. A system built on showy projects cannot withstand the collision with reality.
Today, he told his cowardly officials that the state apparatus is supposedly working effectively or with minor glitches, but he has no complaints. How can you build a system for 30 years and be unable to solve a single serious crisis in recent years? Every time a crisis occurs, it becomes clear that the state apparatus is failing. Instead of competent and well-thought-out solutions, there is only chaos. Officials are hiding either in the forests or in their offices. The only thing that really works "effectively" under Lukashenko is the repression machine. It operates seamlessly in suppressing any dissent and dissenting opinions, clearly showing what Lukashenko’s priorities for development were.
At a meeting, Lukashenko once again claimed that he is taking an exam before the Belarusian people and that the people should see how effectively the system he created works. Yet again, he has failed this exam. The people truly see everything. They see the absolute inability to resolve crisis situations; just remember COVID-19.
Lukashenko went so far as to compare this crisis situation to a war. He declared that the only thing missing is shooting from automatic weapons and machine guns. He found a warrior. They left the people behind, sitting and criticizing them in their remote meetings. And Russian drones are flying over their heads and even falling near settlements — yet no actions are taken to protect the people. Not a word, not a peep. A cardboard generalissimo. Next, he’ll claim that the West used atmospheric weapons against us.
When people needed real support, not staged performances, Lukashenko, as usual, hid. He doesn’t care about Belarusians and their problems. Behind the facade of a brave "people's leader" lies indifference and fear of Belarusians. Fear of hearing the truth about himself, of facing a reality where people do not tremble and nod but demand real actions. True strength and bravery have always been in the hands of the Belarusians, not in those who call themselves "father" and hide from the people in difficult times.
Let’s draw conclusions, let’s do it together.
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