Lebanese activists on Friday released counterfeit banknotes depicting a tattered central bank or the deadly explosion at Beirut’s port to denounce the corruption that has brought the country to collapse.
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Since 2019, the national currency has already lost more than 90% of its market value, exchange rates have multiplied, savers suffer from stifling banking restrictions and almost 80% of the population now lives below the UN poverty line.
The blocked dollars, which savers can only withdraw in Lebanese pounds at an extremely unfavorable rate, are known locally as “lollars”.
Two days before the general election, the Lebanese Transparency Association (LTA) decided to spread the word about the concept by promoting it on the streets and encouraging people to use “lollars” on the day.
Dubbed the “Currency of Corruption,” the “monetary disobedience” campaign is encouraging people to print their own “fake currency” at home and try to shop with it to raise awareness.
On the counterfeit banknotes, paintings by artist Tom Young depict the disasters the country has endured in recent years, from the devastating explosion at Beirut port (August 2020) to wildfires, including pollution, the garbage crisis and shortages.
On Friday, organizers installed a fake ATM in one of Beirut’s main squares where passers-by could withdraw “Lollars”.
LTA communications manager Hazar Assi says the campaign aims to remind voters that the country’s collapse is the work of corrupt leaders.
“When people vote, they must make a responsible choice and reject the corruption that affects us all,” she said.
Lebanon’s entrenched traditional parties will seek a stranglehold on their power in Sunday’s general election, but a new generation of independent candidates are hoping to break through.