GOLDMINE

Viral Documentary Accuses Belarus President of Lavish Spending

Since its release on Monday, the documentary produced by Polish news outlet NEXTA has been viewed more than four million times.

A film from the Poland-based news outlet NEXTA accuses Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko of secretly spending hundreds of millions on lavish palaces and luxury cars, while he publicly presented himself as a populist in touch with the working class. Titled Lukashenko. Goldmine and based on the testimony of an anonymous source, the documentary has racked up more than four million views and thousands of outraged comments since its release on Monday. The video arrives amid months-long protests against Lukashenko, after the authoritarian won his sixth election in 27 years, which many viewed as illegitimate. The government has not commented on the film, but Lukashenko claimed last week that his opponents were preparing a “fake story” to destabilize the country. “I did not steal anything from my state, I did not take anything,” he said during a factory visit.