Spain's Prime Minister Sánchez says he'll continue in office after days of reflection

MADRID (AP) — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez vowed to stay in office and govern “with even more strength” Monday, ending days of speculation he might resign to stop what he called a smear campaign against his wife after she was accused of corruption.

Sánchez shocked the country last Wednesday when he announced he would take five days off to consider his future following a court's decision to open preliminary proceedings against his wife on the allegations.

A platform linked to right-wing causes, Manos Limpias, or “Clean Hands,” accused Begoña Gómez of using her position to influence business deals. The group has acknowledged that the complaint was based on newspaper articles. Spanish prosecutors say it should be thrown out. Gómez has not been indicted.

Sánchez's resignation would have deprived Europe of a prominent Socialist prime minister at a time when the center right increasingly holds sway and ahead of European elections in June.

But the politician who has forged a reputation as a steely survivor announced Monday that he would once again push on.

“I have decided to continue on with even more strength at the helm of the government of Spain,” he said in a televised speech after informing King Felipe VI of the decision. “It is a decision that does not mean a return to the status quo, this will mark a before and after, I promise you that.”

He did not say, however, what steps he would take. The leading opposition conservative Popular Party has said Sánchez’s behavior was unbecoming of a leader.

The eurozone’s fourth-largest economy had been riveted by the unusual episode that began when Sánchez, prime minister since 2018, canceled his public agenda and holed up in his residence, the Moncloa Palace.

In an emotional letter he posted on social media platform X, he declared himself “deeply in love” with Gómez and said that he could no longer stand aside and watch her being targeted. He said the moves against her constituted a personal attack on his family and he needed time to decide on his priorities.

The suspense ahead of Monday's announcement was such that Spain’s state broadcaster put a 10-minute countdown clock on the screen.

Speaking from the steps of the presidential palace Monday, Sánchez said that he and his wife “know that this campaign to discredit them won’t stop” but that he has decided that he couldn’t give his adversaries the satisfaction of giving up.

Rallies by his supporters over the past few days played a part in his decision, he said.

Sánchez, who has more than three years left in his term, had four options: resign, seek a parliamentary vote of confidence, call a new election or remain in office.

While pundits made their bets on whether his career, marked by escaping tight squeezes, was indeed over, Sánchez ended up taking the least dramatic route and decided to get back to work.

He acknowledged that the past days were unusual for a leader in his position.

“I am aware that I have shown a degree of personal intimacy that is not normally permitted in politics,” he added.

The unprecedented pause by Sánchez came at a delicate moment in Spain and in Europe.

Sánchez’s concessions to Catalan separatist parties in order to hold onto power after elections in July have dominated the political debate in Spain. The prime minster hopes to move past that now and put the focus on the what he says are the unfair tactics of his opponents.

While Sánchez denied his moves last week were political ones, analyst Montserrat Nebrera said they resulted in “a free campaign rally for five full days.”

"Those who were with him will now be with him to the death,” said Nebrera, a professor of constitutional law at the International University of Catalonia.

“It looks like a campaign move to boost the polarization of the electorate between those who are with him and those who are against him,” she said. “It is designed to have an impact in the Catalan elections and even more so in the European elections, which were not looking great for the Socialists.”

While popular internationally, the 52-year-old politician is loved or despised in Spain.

Sánchez blamed the investigation against his wife on online news sites politically aligned with the Popular Party and the far-right Vox party that spread what he called “spurious” allegations.

The Popular Party criticized Sánchez's behavior.

“(Sánchez) has pulled the leg of a nation of 48 million people,” party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo said Monday. “He neglected his duties for five days as part of a campaign ploy.”

Sánchez justified his hiatus as necessary for him to think in peace.

“We live in a society that teaches us and demands us to to keep going at full throttle no matter what,” Sánchez said during his short speech. “But sometimes in life the only way to move forward is to stop and reflect and decide with clarity which path we want to take.”

Wilson reported from Barcelona, Spain.

Find more of AP's Europe coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/europe

FILE. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez speaks on camera as he arrives for an EU summit at the European Council building in Brussels, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. Sánchez says he will continue in office "even with more strength" after days of reflection. Sánchez shocked the country last week when he said he was taking five days off to think about his future after a court opened preliminary proceedings against his wife on corruption allegations. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File)

Customers have breakfast in a restaurant while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez appears on a television broadcast in Madrid, Spain, Monday, April 29, 2024. Sánchez says he will continue in office "even with more strength" after days of reflection. Sánchez shocked the country last week when he said he was taking five days off to think about his future after a court opened preliminary proceedings against his wife on corruption allegations. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

A man watches as Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez appears on a television broadcast in Madrid, Spain, Monday, April 29, 2024. Sánchez says he will continue in office "even with more strength" after days of reflection. Sánchez shocked the country last week when he said he was taking five days off to think about his future after a court opened preliminary proceedings against his wife on corruption allegations. (AP Photo/Paul White)

Customers have breakfast in a restaurant while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez appears on a television broadcast in Madrid, Spain, Monday, April 29, 2024. Sánchez says he will continue in office "even with more strength" after days of reflection. Sánchez shocked the country last week when he said he was taking five days off to think about his future after a court opened preliminary proceedings against his wife on corruption allegations. (AP Photo/Paul White)

FILE, Spain's caretaker Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez smiles during the parliamentary debate at the Spanish parliament in Madrid, Spain, Monday, July 22, 2019. Sánchez says he will continue in office "even with more strength" after days of reflection. Sánchez shocked the country last week when he said he was taking five days off to think about his future after a court opened preliminary proceedings against his wife on corruption allegations. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue, File)

FILE, Spain's acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez applauds he was chosen by a majority of legislators to form a new government after a parliamentary vote at the Spanish Parliament in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023. Sánchez says he will continue in office "even with more strength" after days of reflection. Sánchez shocked the country last week when he said he was taking five days off to think about his future after a court opened preliminary proceedings against his wife on corruption allegations. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)

A bartender watches as Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez appears on a television broadcast in Madrid, Spain, Monday, April 29, 2024. Sánchez says he will continue in office "even with more strength" after days of reflection. Sánchez shocked the country last week when he said he was taking five days off to think about his future after a court opened preliminary proceedings against his wife on corruption allegations. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Customers have breakfast in a restaurant while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez appears on a television broadcast in Madrid, Spain, Monday, April 29, 2024. Spain is in suspense as it waits for Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to announce whether he will continue in office or leave. (AP Photo/Paul White)

FILE - A poster of the leader of Socialist Party Pedro Sanchez is ripped out in Madrid, Dec. 16, 2015. Spain is in nail-biting suspense Monday as it waits for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to announce whether he will continue in office or not. Sanchez, 52, shocked the country on Thursday, announcing he was taking five days off to think about his future after a court opened preliminary proceedings against his wife on corruption allegations. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza, File)

FILE - Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez addresses the media at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020. Spain is in nail-biting suspense Monday as it waits for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to announce whether he will continue in office or not. Sanchez, 52, shocked the country on Thursday, announcing he was taking five days off to think about his future after a court opened preliminary proceedings against his wife on corruption allegations. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)

FILE - Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez next to his wife Begona Gomez, gives a thumb up during a campaign closing meeting in Madrid, Spain, Friday, July 21, 2023. Spain is in nail-biting suspense Monday as it waits for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to announce whether he will continue in office or not. Sanchez, 52, shocked the country on Thursday, announcing he was taking five days off to think about his future after a court opened preliminary proceedings against his wife on corruption allegations. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)

MEXICO CITY (AP) — All of a sudden, women contacting one of the biggest sources of information about abortion in Mexico through the encrypted messaging app WhatsApp were met with silence.

The nongovernmental organization’s business account had been blocked. Weeks later, a similar digital blackout struck a collective in Colombia.

Across the Americas, organizations that guide women seeking abortions in various countries are raising alarm, decrying what they see as a new wave of censorship on platforms owned by tech giant Meta — even in countries where abortion is decriminalized. The organizations believe this is due to a combination of changes to Meta policies and attacks by anti-abortion groups that denounce their content.

While this also occurs on Instagram and Facebook, the blocking of organizations’ verified WhatsApp business accounts, which they use to communicate with people seeking help, has been particularly disruptive. These accounts are crucial for communicating with people seeking help, and their blockage has significantly complicated daily interactions between women and support providers.

Meta usually attributes its content blocking to policy violations, though it has acknowledged occasional mistakes. Since January, Meta changed the way it moderates content, now relying on user-generated notes “to allow more speech and reduce enforcement mistakes.” U.S. President Donald Trump has said the changes were “probably” made in response to his threats over what conservatives considered a liberal bias in fact-checking.

Among the organizations whose WhatsApp business accounts were suspended is the MSI Foundation (part of MSI Reproductive Choices, formerly Marie Stopes) a network working in Mexico for 25 years. Its account was suspended in February, and the Colombian group Oriéntame, or Guide Me, which has worked in women's health in Colombia for decades, was labeled by Instagram as “dangerous.”

While conservatives cheered the change in Meta moderation policies, organizations helping women who seek abortions say that, even if they just apply in the U.S., they often result in over-enforcement, likely driven by Artificial Intelligence, which disproportionately flags or removes their posts — obstacles that have increased since the start of the Trump administration.

“It is not always intentional censorship, but the outcome is still more censorship for us and our partners,” said Martha Dimitratou, cofounder of Repro Uncensored, an organization that monitors digital suppression of reproductive health content.

In additional comments on Thursday, Meta rejected any link between the groups’ experiences and its policy changes.

“Our policies and enforcement regarding abortion medication-related content have not changed recently and were not part of the content moderation changes,” Meta said in a statement.

“From one day to the next they blocked communication between our users and women who need first-hand information” to address doubts or look for medical follow-up with MSI, said Araceli López-Nava, the organization’s Latin America director.

In the days after the suspension, appointments dropped 80%

López Nava said that MSI had previously faced issues with regular WhatsApp numbers, because it’s easy to file complaints. So, the organization thought it would be different with a business account, which gives them a platform to manage the thousands of messages they receive every month.

That wasn't the case. After an initial suspension, MSI's WhatsApp business account was permanently suspended two weeks later. The reason cited in Meta’s notification? “Sending spam.”

“The argument is that they’ve received complaints, but from whom?” López-Nava asked. She said the organization can’t be accused of sending spam because they only answer those who contact them and provide information in line with Mexican law. Abortion is decriminalized in Mexico at the federal level and in the majority of its 32 states.

“It looks like an orchestrated strategy to us,” López-Nava said. “And not necessarily by Meta."

Dimitratou, who is also digital strategist for Canada-based Women on Web and the U.S.-based Plan C, said cases of blocked content have increased since Trump’s election, not only in the U.S., but around the world, likely driven by anti-abortion groups.

Conservative or religious groups have a history of attempting to leverage technology companies to obstruct abortion supporters’ efforts, but the anonymity of app reporting prevents organizations from proving who is behind it.

That is why MSI and an ally NGO, Women’s Link Worldwide, have asked Meta to implement transparent mechanisms to be able to appeal the company’s decisions and to respect international human rights standards. They have not received a response.

A Meta spokesperson told The Associated Press that MSI's WhatsApp business account was blocked for valid reasons, saying that organizations receiving numerous negative comments receive warnings before suspension. Meta declined to provide details about the nature of the negative comments or comment on whether they could be coordinated by anti-abortion groups aiming to paralyze MSI.

The Instagram accounts of Women on Web United States and Women on Web Latin America were suspended right after the U.S. presidential election in November, though they were later reinstated. Dimitratou said that Meta has also limited the organization’s ability to place ads on accounts in Latin America, South Korea and West Africa.

Repro Uncensored has documented at least 60 instances of similar digital censorship since January. The most recent occurred this week, when Thailand's TamTang Group said that Facebook had accused them of violating rules on selling medicines simply for sharing information about free abortion pills provided by the Thai government.

A 2025 report by the California-based Center for Intimacy Justice, based on a survey of 159 nonprofits worldwide, found that major tech platforms were removing ads and content related to abortion and other women’s sexual and reproductive health issues like menopause.

When asked about the report, Meta downplayed its findings, noting that it was based on a small number of examples.

Tech companies often cite policies against explicit or inappropriate sexual content or the advertisement of unsafe substances, such as abortion pills, even though the World Health Organization has said they’re safe.

In April, months after Meta announced changes to ensure greater freedom of expression, Oriéntame, the Colombian collective that offers reproductive health services, posted on Instagram a drawing of a heart and the phrase “Abort without pain.” The post was blocked with the explanation: “Dangerous people and organizations, photo removed.”

While Colombia legalized abortion in 2022, Oriéntame experienced censorship of at least 14 of their posts on Instagram in April 2025. That same month, their WhatsApp business account was suspended, said Tatiana Martínez, who manages their social media. Although the WhatsApp account was restored after a week, they worry it could happen again.

A Meta spokesperson said this week that the Instagram posts were mistakenly taken down and not the result of a change in its content standards.

Oriéntame director María Vivas says the organization has been battling Google for years over online content limitations. The tech giant said in a message to the AP that it only restricts content when it violates policies. But Google keeps Colombia on the list of countries with restrictions on abortion ads — even though abortion was decriminalized there in 2022.

As for their problems with Meta, Vivas said they started in late 2024, when the company started to make some data management adjustments.

Taking legal action against tech giants, when each country has its own laws, is complicated. As a result, affected organizations have turned to creative strategies, like operating multiple backup accounts, having a substitute ready when one is blocked and reformulating language in posts to avoid censorship triggers.

“It feels like Meta is our boss,” Vivas joked about the ongoing struggle with the tech giant over the basic right to provide health information. “We live to respond to Meta, to adapt ourselves to Meta,” she said. “That's absurd.”

AP journalist Maria Cheng contributed to this report from New York.

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

A computer monitor shows the splash page of the MSI Foundation website with a message that reads in Spanish: "Your body, your choice, your future", during a tour of the foundation, a non-governmental agency that offers information and help to women seeking abortions, in Mexico City, Thursday, May 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

A health worker gives a tour of the MSI Foundation, an organization that offers information and help to women seeking abortions, in Mexico City, Thursday, May 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

A health worker gestures towards a message that reads in Spanish; "My decisions, my road, my steps" during a tour of the MSI Foundation, an organization that offers information and help to women seeking abortions, in Mexico City, Thursday, May 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

A health worker gives a tour of the MSI Foundation, an organization that offers information and help to women seeking abortions, in Mexico City, Thursday, May 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)