New Delhi: A photograph showing piles of currency notes scattered on the streets of Italy has been doing the rounds of social media, with the claim that Italians were throwing money out of desperation amid rising Covid-19 deaths in the country.
The image, shared widely on Facebook and Twitter, has been captioned: “People in Italy have thrown all their money on the streets, as they say it is of no use.”
Italy has seen more than 12,000 deaths so far, while over 1 lakh cases have been reported across the country.
https://twitter.com/madgwal/status/1244915481330372608?s=20
The image has been shared by multiple handles on social media sites. One Facebook post has received over 100 likes and was shared more than 500 times.
The photograph is also being circulated widely via WhatsApp.
Also read: Herd of deer not lounging on Ooty-Coimbatore road amid coronavirus lockdown
Fact check
The image is an old one and not related to the coronavirus pandemic. The incident is from Venezuela, where a bank was looted in a town called Merida on 11 March 2019.
Ayer se produjo el saqueo de un banco bicentenario en la ciudad de Mérida, en las cercanías de la plaza Glorias Patrias. Los saqueadores incendiaron una pila de bolívares además de dejar muchos billetes por el suelo. pic.twitter.com/7gmL7FqMYo
— Descifrando la Guerra (@descifraguerra) March 12, 2019
#Merida
Banco Bicentenario en Merida fue robado, sólo habían billetes del viejo cono monetario que terminaron tapizando las calles del centro de la ciudad
Venezuela es realismo magico y tragico
Sarai Suarez pic.twitter.com/lIeo2mpw70— Nellie Belén Izarza ? ???? (@myteks) March 12, 2019
According to the fact checking website snopes.com, the money thrown on the streets is Venezuela’s old currency — the Bolívar Fuerte — which was replaced by the new form of currency — Bolivar Soberano — in August 2018.
A Venezuelan news outlet has compiled many tweets and photographs of the incident. It has been reported that people who robbed the bank discarded the older currency notes on the streets and even lit some on fire.
In collaboration with SM Hoaxslayer.
Also read: WHO didn’t say vegetarians haven’t contracted coronavirus, viral Twitter post is misleading