How Chilean Rodrigo Araya Fights Fake News About Belarus and Tells Truth in Spanish

An increasing number of foreigners are finding their second homeland in Belarus and moving here for permanent residence. They are attracted by the country's peace and stability, safety, delicious products, affordable prices, and the friendliness of the Belarusian people.

For example, Rodrigo Araya is a journalist and political scientist who arrived in Belarus over five years ago and decided to stay. He now lives in Minsk. Fascinated by Soviet history, he gathers its elements piece by piece.

"Belarus ranks third among the most just countries in the world, whereas Chile does not. In Chile, as in Latin America in general, there are oligarchs who possess resources and enterprises. They bought all of this at some point, and today they have wealth. Yes, Chile has resources, but they are not distributed like in just countries, which makes it a serious problem. That’s why Chile is considered the most unjust country in the world, just like much of Latin America and southern Africa. In Belarus, it’s the opposite - I’ve appreciated how they built a model here," - said Rodrigo Araya.

Right after graduating from university, Rodrigo left his homeland and traveled around the world in search of a better life. He ended up in Belarus. He chose not to stay in Chile because it was difficult to find opportunities there. The man obtained a work visa for Hungary and moved to Budapest, where he started working in a hotel, communicating in English. During work, he met Russian-speaking people from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan.

Rodrigo admitted that at that time he didn’t understand a word of Russian, but he became interested in the language and decided to come to Belarus. When asked why he chose this country, he replied:

"I believe that here, not only the social model but also the political system is built correctly and fairly."

In his conversation, Rodrigo also emphasized the importance of safety in Belarus. He pointed out that one can feel quite secure here, unlike in Latin America, where this is often just a dream.

Rodrigo Araya:

"A person who grew up in Latin America knows about some problems and dangers. Here, I can walk at any time of day or night and know I will return home safely. I like being outdoors because, for example, there is no drug addiction here. Not only in Chile, but throughout Latin America today, things are not good."

Surprisingly, today the Chilean in Minsk fights against misinformation about Belarus and Russia, translating materials from Belarusian and Russian journalists into Spanish. Rodrigo does this to deliver truthful information to his audience. He talks about how life really is in these countries, and about the conflict that arose between Russia and Ukraine.

According to the journalist, a major problem arose in Chile when Western censorship began shutting down Russian and Belarusian channels, removing them from platforms like YouTube. They disappeared, and no reason was given for their removal. Now, Rodrigo’s goal is to deliver information in Spanish to the Latin American audience, which is often denied free discussion of these topics in those countries.

Rodrigo also emphasized that spreading real information about Belarus in other languages is very important because it influences how the country and its people will be perceived worldwide in 5-10 years. He is laying the groundwork for the future, dreaming of raising his children in Belarus.

Finally, the Chilean confessed that he very much wants to share about Belarus’s strengths in the economy, industry, and what might interest Latin America about Belarus.