Spanish pensioner whose eviction sparked nationwide protests dies, union says
The 87-year-old tenant became a symbol of Spain’s housing crisis after her eviction helped drive nationwide protests and early elections.
- On Tuesday, the Madrid Tenants' Union announced that 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal had died following her forced eviction from her Madrid home in September. The union called her case "a turning point in the history of this country."
- Abascal had lived in Madrid's Retiro district for more than 70 years before her eviction on September 23. Her rent surged from $560 to $2,970, forcing her removal from the apartment.
- Hospitalized since her eviction, Abascal remained unable to finalize a return agreement the property fund eventually offered at a lower rate. She died before the arrangement could be completed.
- Her plight sparked nationwide protests over Spain's housing crisis, pressuring the government. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez consequently decided on Monday to call an early general election following mass demonstrations.
- Abascal became a symbol for Spain's housing crisis, her case representing the broader struggle over rental regulations and tenant protections. The Madrid Tenants' Union continues demanding systemic policy changes nationwide.
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The pensioners' and tenants' rights union said an 87-year-old Madrid resident whose eviction sparked protests across Spain over a chronic housing crisis and political debates that culminated in snap elections died on Wednesday.
MADRID (AP) — María del Carmen Abascal, the 87-year-old woman whose eviction in the Spanish capital sparked protests across the country and sparked a political crisis, died Wednesday in a hospital.
‘Maricarmen lives, the fight goes on’: 87-year-old dies after becoming symbol of Spain housing crisis
María del Carmen Abascal, known as Maricarmen, died in a hospital after being evicted from her home. Her eviction triggered nationwide protests highlighting the housing crisis afflicting Spain. Activists voiced anger over Maricarmen's death as a symbol of the struggle against rising rents and evictions. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez offered condolences, acknowledging the impact of her case on public sentiment.
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