Spain: 'Misinformation' on Catalonia referendum came from Russia
NATO and the EU and their component member states.
Did they meddle in Brexit?
Seems like a safe bet, to me.
The Spanish government said it has intelligence suggesting Russian-based groups used social media to spread "misinformation" related to Catalonia's independence referendum.
"Propaganda campaigns" intended to destabilize Spain came from Russian territory and Venezuela, two ministers said Monday in Brussels, where the European Union's Foreign Affairs Council is taking place.
"Yes, we have confirmed it," Minister of Foreign Affairs Alfonso Dastis said when asked if the Spanish government had confirmed interference in the regional referendum originated in Russia.
However, the Spanish government could not "say with certainty" if the Russian government was behind it, Defense Minister Maria Dolores de Cospedal added.
Misleading headlines such as "EU officials supported the violence in Catalonia" and "Global powers prepare ground for war in Europe" spread across social media after Spanish troops clashed with voters in Catalonia's October 1 referendum to declare independence from Spain.
The referendum triggered a political crisis that led to the dissolution of Catalonia's autonomous government and an international arrest warrant for its former leader. Several lawmakers face charges, including rebellion and sedition.
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