A China-linked influence operation has been accused of impersonating a human rights organization on social media to stir unrest in Spain following the deadly October floods in Valencia. The floods claimed the lives of more than 200 people, and the operation reportedly sought to exploit the tragedy to encourage Spaniards to overthrow their government, according to a new report.
The influence campaign, believed to be connected to the Spamouflage operation, allegedly posed as the Madrid-based human rights group Safeguard Defenders on platforms such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), BlueSky, and TikTok. This activity reportedly took place from November to January, as detailed in the report by the U.S.-based social network analysis firm Graphika.
According to the findings, the fake accounts shared posts in both English and Spanish that were highly critical of the Madrid government and Valencia Governor Carlos Mazón. The content appeared to exploit public anger and grief following the devastating floods.













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