Yesterday, February 10th, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya participated at the Denver Summit for Democracy together with Nobel Laureat Maria Ressa, US Senator Michael Bennet, and President of NED Damon Wilson. University of Colorado, the organizers of the event, devoted it to assesing the state of democracy worldwide.
Tsikhanouskaya spoke at a panel “Democratic Resistance: A Global Perspective” about the Belarusian crisis, plans ahead for the democratic movement, and suggested measures for the international community to help Belarusians in their struggle for democracy. She also commented on the regime’s role in promoting the current military escalation in the region: “Lukashenko and his cronies feel fragile. That’s why they need the escalation. That’s why they try to hind behind bigger geopolitical issues. That’s why the migrant crisis, that’s why foreign troops are invited to Belarus. The regime needs it, because they have nothing to show to Belarusians to explain the rising prices, detrioriating healthcare and education. Dictatorship is the root of the problem and a security risk for Belarusians and for the international community”.
