AI-generated 'Island of Corruption' video sparks Spain-Dominican Republic diplomatic row
Spain's conservative People's Party posted an AI-generated video on social media featuring Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on a beach titled 'The Island of Corruption,' parodying a reality TV show filmed in the Dominican Republic. The video used Dominican national symbols, sparking a diplomatic rebuke from the Dominican Foreign Ministry, after which the PP deleted the post and Sanchez apologized on behalf of Spain.
What happened
On 5 March 2025, Spain's conservative People's Party posted an AI-generated video on X featuring government officials including shirtless Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on a beach, titled 'The Island of Corruption' and parodying the reality TV show 'The Island of Temptations' which is filmed in the Dominican Republic. The video showed the Dominican flag and included a map of the country's location.
The Dominican Foreign Ministry issued a statement calling the video a 'vicious and incomprehensible attack' using national symbols for internal Spanish political matters. The PP deleted the post, which had been viewed more than 400,000 times, and stated it did not intend to damage the Dominican Republic's image.
Prime Minister Sanchez apologized on 6 March, saying he was 'deeply ashamed' by the incident and apologised on behalf of Spain.
Reported impact
The video sparked a diplomatic row between Spain and the Dominican Republic, with the Dominican Foreign Ministry condemning its use of the country's national symbols.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.