Belarus pro-democracy advocate praises Canada's anti-authoritarian stand
CTV
Valery Kavaleuski - who once represented Belarus as a diplomat in the United States - praised Canada, the U.S., the European Union and Britain for their continued backing of the Belarusian democracy movement.
Kavaleuski went back to the capital city of Minsk in August 2020, diving headlong into the waves of pro-democracy protests that were providing hope around an unlikely but inspiring new leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, in the face of a massive government backlash.
"I saw the crackdown. I participated in all the marches, in the lines of solidarity and such. And I stayed for a bit longer and then longer and longer. I just didn't want to leave," Kavaleuski recalled in an interview in Ottawa this past week.
Kavaleuski -- who once represented Belarus as a diplomat in the United States -- praised Canada, the U.S., the European Union and Britain for their continued backing of the Belarusian democracy movement.
"Canada was among the first countries to express support," he said, talking over the bustling clatter of a Thai fast food restaurant near the University of Ottawa.
