On Thursday (11), Bassam al-Sheikh Hussein entered the Federal Bank of Lebanon armed. He took hostages and demanded a reward for letting them out. The population began to gather around the bank in central Beirut – to support the kidnapper. In a scene that could have been in the Spanish series “Casa de Papel”, they shouted things like “down with the power of the banks” and “give him his money”.
The episode, which left neither dead nor injured, is an eloquent symbol of what Lebanon has become in these years. The country has been experiencing one of the worst economic crises in the world since the mid-19th century. About 80% of the population lives in poverty. The currency has devalued 20 times against the dollar since 2019. Almost half of Lebanese are hungry. Lack of everything: electricity, fuel, medicines.
Hussein, 42, decided to break into the bank not to rob it, but to demand the right to withdraw money from his own account. He wanted, he said, to pay the costs of the hospital where his father is hospitalized. According to press reports, Hussein has US$210,000 in the bank. However, the Lebanese authorities have restricted withdrawals since 2019 to a maximum amount of US$ 400 per month (R$ 2,000). Hussein’s gesture, thus, gave voice to the indignation of many others in the country – angry with a government seen as corrupt, slow and inefficient.
The kidnapper threatened to set himself on fire and kill the hostages if his request was not granted. In agreement with the security forces, after hours of negotiation, he walked out of the bank with $35,000 (R$180,000). He was arrested, but was released on Tuesday (16) after the financial institution withdrew the complaint against him. In the streets, protesters demanded his freedom, whom they called a hero.
