Argentina President Javier Milei has once again stepped up his insults to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, referring to his counterpart as the “local crook” at an economic event in Madrid.

Speaking at the Madrid Economic Forum on Sunday evening, the far-right libertarian president renewed his rivalry with Sanchez — a figure he has sparred regularly with since being elected Argentine president in 2023.

“If you want to rough up the local crook too, I’ve got no problem with it,” Milei said, without directly naming Sanchez.

Later on in his speech, he told the Spanish crowd: “I will always be on your side when it comes to opposing the socialist scum.”

Milei’s name headlined an event that featured speakers including a former congressman of Spanish far-right party Vox, economists, CEOs, and members of the cryptocurrency world. VIP tickets to the event were listed as high as €7,500 according to its website.

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Spain and Argentina’s diplomatic row began in May 2024 when Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente suggested Milei was a drug user. A few weeks later, Milei gave a speech at an event in Madrid organized by the far-right Spanish political party, Vox. Without naming her, he called the Spanish First Lady Begoña Gómez “corrupt” during his speech because of accusations that she had been involved in an influence-peddling scandal. Spanish prosecutors dropped the investigation into her, citing no proof of her involvement.

What followed was five months of Argentina having no ambassador to Spain, and an ongoing diplomatic spat between the two countries.

The Argentine president is currently on a tour of Europe where before Madrid, he has so far flown to Rome to announce a deal between YPF and Italy’s ENI with Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, and a first meeting with Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican. On Tuesday, he will travel to Israel to meet President Benjamin Netanyahu and Prime Minister Isaac Herzog.