Strette di mani e un caloroso abbraccio. Questo fin troppo normale siparietto, che ormai da quasi un anno non siamo più abituati a vedere, ha fatto da preambolo a un incontro tra Alexander Lukashenko e René Fasel, svoltosi stamattina a Minsk e nel quale il presidente bielorusso ha chiesto a quello della IIHF di non cedere alle "pressioni ingiuste" al fine di permettergli di organizzare i Mondiali 2021 in Bielorussia.
Da più parti negli ultimi mesi si sono infatti alzate le voci contro l'assegnazione della kermesse iridata a Minsk e la Federazione Internazionale ha iniziato a vagliare diverse ipotesi alternative, non potendo la Lettonia aggiungere un'altra sede oltre a Riga, che era stata designata insieme alla capitale bielorussa. "Se l'IIHF riesce a non cedere alle pressioni ingiuste, noi siamo pronti ad organizzare i Mondiali anche senza la Lettonia - ha dichiarato Lukashenko, che ha aggiunto all'indirizzo di Fasel - Tutto è ora nelle vostre mani".
Abbiamo un situazione normale a livello di sviluppo democratico, non abbiamo manifestanti che invadono i palazzi governativi
Alexander Lukashenko
La Bielorussia è da mesi alle prese con inedite manifestazioni di piazza che denunciano frodi elettorali alle elezioni di agosto, nelle quali Lukashenko ha vinto con l'80% delle preferenze. A seguito di questi moti di protesta vi sono stati quattro morti, migliaia di arresti e diverse accuse di torture praticate dalle forze di sicurezza.
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