Javier Milei calls Pedro Sanchez a 'dictator' in Madrid

Argentine President Javier Milei called Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez a “dictator” during a visit to Madrid on Wednesday and urged voters to remove the Socialist leader in Spain's November 29 general election.

“You are suffering under the disgraceful dictator Pedro Sanchez,” Milei told an economic forum in the Spanish capital. He also called Sanchez a “thief” and “corrupt”.

Spanish government spokeswoman Elma Saiz responded by requesting “respect” for Sanchez. The Spanish prime minister has defended the probity of his government and the source of his party's funding while graft probes have affected relatives and former Socialist figures.

Milei is not due to meet Sanchez during the visit. He is instead expected to see figures from the far-right Vox party and Isabel Diaz Ayuso, the Popular Party leader of the Madrid region.

The remarks follow earlier tensions between the two governments. In 2024, Madrid recalled its ambassador to Argentina for months after Milei called Sanchez's wife, Begona Gomez, “corrupt”.