Latvia’s parliament proposed amendments to ban Latvian travel agencies from offering tourism services to Russia and Belarus. This action, driven by security concerns, aims to mitigate risks to Latvian citizens, including potential human rights abuses and recruitment as spies. The proposed ban, stemming from increased arrests of Latvian nationals in Russia, would be incorporated into existing sanctions against both countries. The ban would affect all Latvian-registered tourism providers.
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Exit polls indicate Alexander Lukashenko secured a seventh term as Belarusian president with 87.6% of the vote, a result widely condemned by the US and EU as neither free nor fair due to the suppression of opposition and independent media. Lukashenko, in power since 1994, has overseen a crackdown on dissent following the 2020 protests and allowed Russia to utilize Belarusian territory for its invasion of Ukraine. The election, featuring largely unknown opposition candidates, saw an 81.5% turnout, although an estimated 300,000 Belarusians in exile were unable to vote. International observers and exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya dismissed the election as a sham.
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John Q. Hosedrinker