Ábalos sentenced to 24 years threatens to expose all in Spain

Ábalos threatens to expose all after conviction: pardon in sight?

Socialist former minister José Luis Ábalos, sentenced to 24 years in prison by Spain's Supreme Court in the masks case, has issued a threat: 'now it's really going to blow up.' In a video released hours after the verdict, the former PSOE's third-in-command suggests he holds compromising information that could shake the party. The unanimous conviction is one of the harshest against a high-ranking official for corruption during the pandemic.

Ábalos's threat: last card or lit fuse?

'It's going to blow up' is no off-the-cuff remark. With a final conviction and no sign of leniency, the former minister tries to pressure with a 'all or nothing' approach. According to sources, Ábalos has given the Prime Minister a 72-hour ultimatum to resign or release 'all the crap he knows.' The threat recalls the strategy of other defendants who, seeing no way out, choose denunciation. However, the legal margin is narrow: the Supreme Court has closed the case, and only a pardon or appeal to European instances could alter the sentence.

The ghost of the pardon: precedents and skepticism

The shadow of the pardon looms over the debate. This is not the first time a convicted PSOE figure has speculated about a pardon: precedents like Griñán and Chaves, partially pardoned after the ERE case, fuel distrust. However, corruption crimes in the context of a health emergency face strong social and judicial rejection, making any act of grace difficult. European regulations prevent pardoning corruption crimes, and the Supreme Court itself has been explicit that the sentence aims to restore faith in the system.

Aldama, the other implicated figure who talks

While Ábalos threatens, Aldama—another convicted figure in the same case—has chosen to cooperate. According to reports, Aldama 'has sung the opera,' revealing names and connections implicating third parties, including Leire and Julito Martínez. In exchange for his cooperation, he has received protection and travels in a bulletproof car with escorts. This cooperation could be the key that triggers further indictments or, conversely, a factor that further isolates Ábalos.

The scenario remains uncertain. Skeptical citizens recall that past promises to 'blow things up' amounted to nothing. The exemplary conviction is a fact, but the political system has levers to reduce it. Meanwhile, the official narrative insists that justice has acted. But those who have trinc the case know this is not the end, but the beginning of a new phase.