Spain's People's Party posts AI-generated video linking Dominican Republic to corruption
Spain's People's Party posted an AI-generated video on social media depicting government officials in fabricated scenes, which indirectly implicated the Dominican Republic in corruption through use of its national symbols. The Dominican Republic protested the video as a diplomatic offense, leading the party to delete it and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to publicly apologize.
What happened
On March 5, 2025, Spain's conservative People's Party posted an AI-generated video on X featuring government officials including Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez depicted shirtless on a beach, titled 'The Island of Corruption.' The video parodied the reality TV show 'The Island of Temptations,' which is shot in the Dominican Republic, and included the country's flag and map.
The Dominican Republic's Foreign Ministry called the video a 'vicious and incomprehensible attack' using its national symbols for internal Spanish political matters. The PP later deleted the post after it received more than 400,000 views and stated it did not intend to damage the Dominican Republic's image.
Reported impact
The incident caused diplomatic friction between Spain and the Dominican Republic. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez publicly apologized on behalf of Spain, stating he was 'deeply ashamed' by the incident.
Index analysis
The video used AI generation technology to create synthetic media for political purposes, depicting real government officials in fabricated scenarios designed to criticize Spain's government. The content indirectly implicated the Dominican Republic by linking it to corruption through its national symbols and geography.
Governance controls
The People's Party removed the video after the Dominican Republic's formal complaint. Prime Minister Sanchez's apology indicated recognition that the content violated diplomatic norms.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.