Cybersecurity
Spain Learns About Russian Interference the Hard Way
- Russia has been courting Catalan separatist leaders for years
- Assange, Snowden tweets echoed Russian strategy on Catalonia
Spanish national police officers wearing riot gear confront pro Catalan referendum supporters in Sabadell, Spain, on Sunday, Oct. 1.
Photographer: Angel Garcia/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Russia has been courting Catalan separatists for years, yet it took a declaration of independence and a violent crackdown on the streets of Barcelona for Spain to respond to the external interference with any urgency.
After some initial hesitation -- and staunch denials from Moscow -- a consensus is emerging in Madrid that Russia’s propaganda campaign exacerbated the crisis triggered by Catalonia’s illegal referendum on statehood in October. The battle to contain the rebels forced Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to dissolve the local legislature and schedule snap elections for Thursday.