The Coronavirus changed people's lives around the world, but in a few countries, things seem to go on as before.
Behind every country with an active football league, there is a ruler that thinks you should have nothing to worry about. They are regarded as cruel dictators, and the Human Rights Watch has pages over pages of allegations against them and their regime.
Belarus, Burundi, Nicaragua and Tajikistan. Four countries, four leaders, and four controversial stories about how they are dealing with COVID-19, running a league, and making the most of this epidemic to gain international recognition.
Belarus: Alexander Lukashenko
The ex-Soviet country is counting more than 700 detected cases, but it doesn't bother president Alexander Lukashenko. Among his latest gems are statements regarding the pandemic a "mass psychosis", and asking a TV reporter if they see a virus flying around, because “I don’t either”. Lukashenko is leading Belarus since 1994, and his regime was described more than once as Europe's last dictatorship.
With no concerns regarding the coronavirus, the Belarusian league is still in full gear, and Lukashenko can be proud of himself. For the first time, the domestic league sold broadcasting rights abroad, and as a European league, it also started drawing more attention from gamblers. For a country with one of the lowest GDP per capita in Europe, any economic growth could mean a jackpot.
Burundi: Pierre Nkurunziza
President Pierre Nkurunziza had an interesting explanation a week ago why there were no coronavirus cases in his country. "Burundi is an exception because it is a country that has put God first”. This was later repeated by his spokesperson. A few days later, first cases were detected, all by Burundian citizens who were already detected in Rwanda. According to the reports, there are no testing kits in Burundi, and they are unable to detect more cases.
Nkurunziza was elected in 2005 for the first time, but had some unstable episodes in the last few years. In 2015, army officers tried to lead a coup d'état, but they were defeated after three days. In 2018, the citizens approved a constitutional amendment that allowed Nkurunziza to be re-elected. With such power, nothing will stop him, not even the coronavirus. Meanwhile, the Burundian Ministry of Health made the first steps against coronavirus, but the FA decided earlier this week to keep playing.
Nicaragua: Daniel Ortega
Nicaragua and its president, Daniel Ortega, are once again in the controversial spotlight. While the local league is still being played, there are rumors and unconfirmed reports about his recent absence, some of them relating to health issues, including the possibility of him being infected. Only a few weeks earlier, he organized an event called "Love in the Time of COVID-19." The official country's statement called for "a march across Nicaragua for solidarity, love and hope."
Ortega was criticized for not taking severe measures to fight the virus. Nicaragua now has 7 confirmed cases, including 1 death. The domestic league marches on, although the players are trying to practice more caution. Certain European companies have negotiated for buying the league's broadcasting rights, which could bring benefit to the country that’s ranked 137th in the world for GDP per capita.
Tajikistan: Emomali Rahmon
The last country to join the party is another ex-Soviet republic. Tajikistan kicked off the domestic league last weekend, but it wasn't the major headlines in the country. The WHO regional advisor in Tajikistan, Galina Perfilieva, confirmed that not even one coronavirus case was detected. It's even more surprising after the whole country celebrated Navruz, a holiday that marks the beginning of the spring.
The President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, keeps people calm, and especially his son, Rustam Emomali. The opening day was a special day for Rustam Emomali, the president of the local FA, who also acts as the Mayor of Dushanbe and a parliament member. Emomali co-founded Istiklol in 2007 and was the club's first captain until his retirement in 2012. Coincidentally, Istiklol won their 9th Super Cup title last week, and their trophy cabinet holds 8 championship plates and 8 cups.