A screenshot of an article is being shared on the internet to claim that the Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET) has confessed that Spain was sprayed with lead dioxide, silver iodide, and diatomite.
More links to similar posts can be found here, here, and here.
What is the truth?: There is no evidence to prove that the agency has accepted spraying Spain with the said chemicals.
The European Parliament had denied the allegations in 2015 about Spanish authorities trying to change climate in the country using military geoengineering.
How did we find that out?: A keyword search led us to an article published on a website named 'voziberica', which carried the same information.
It further said that the objective behind spraying the chemicals was to "keep away the rains and allow temperatures to rise, which creates a summer climate environment for tourism and, at the same time, helps corporations in the agricultural sector."
However, the article did not provide any evidence except saying that these statements were made by a leader.
What did the European Parliament say?: The same question was raised in the European Parliament in 2015. The question carried references about four AEMET employees confessing to spraying chemicals and the deliberate manipulation of the climate.
Answering the question on 16 July 2015, the Commission said that it investigated the matter with Spanish authorities but did not find any evidence of the allegations "of a military geoengineering scheme for changing climate in Spain."
The third point referred to an earlier answer that said there is no existing or proposed European Union (EU) legislation which includes any programmes, policy, or activities that "promote geoengineering by stratospheric aerosol or other forms of aerial aerosol spraying."
No news reports or information available: Team WebQoof did not find any credible news reports or information in the public domain that supported the viral claim.
It should be noted that if Spanish agency's workers had accepted spraying chemicals to change the climate, it would have received nation and worldwide media attention.
We have also reached out to Spanish fact-checkers and the copy will be updated once we get a response from them.
Conclusion: There is no evidence to prove that Spanish authorities have accepted spraying chemicals to change the climate in the country.
(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9540511818 , or e-mail it to us at webqoof@thequint.com and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)