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 https://www.theradiovagabond.com/182-belarus/

This Flashback Friday episode was first released on May 10, 2021.