An elderly woman whose eviction sparked nationwide protests over Spain’s housing crisis and a political row that triggered early elections has died, according to Madrid’s tenants’ union.
Maricarmen Abascal, 87, was forcibly removed on a stretcher from her apartment of more than 70 years on September 23 after she was unable to afford steep rent increases.
The company that owned the flat later offered to allow her to return at a lower rent, but she was unable to sign an agreement because she had been admitted to hospital.
Announcing her death, the Madrid Tenants’ Union said Abascal’s situation marked “a turning point in the history of this country”.
The 87-year-old and her eviction became symbols of Spain’s housing crisis. The Socialist-led government sought to respond to the protests, but its bid to push through urgent housing measures failed, prompting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to call snap elections.
“Speculation costs lives, and today rent profiteering has finished killing our colleague Maricarmen,” said union spokeswoman Alicia del Río.
“Her memory lives on and makes us fight even harder.”
Abascal was already in fragile health at the time of her eviction and was admitted to Madrid’s Gregorio Marañón Hospital, from where she sent messages of support to protesters.
When news of her death reached Puerta del Sol, the Madrid square where thousands had camped since her eviction to demand more affordable housing, there was a collective gasp, followed by a minute of silence.
Dozens of candles were lit around the square, with more arranged to form an altar to Abascal in front of the headquarters of the Community of Madrid government.
Messages left at the scene included “It’s not a death, it’s a killing”, “The fight will continue” and “Maricarmen, the grandmother of the whole country”.
Abascal’s father first rented the flat in Madrid’s Retiro district in 1956. She continued as the tenant after her parents died, during which time the rent was capped.
The area has become increasingly sought-after, and Urbagestión, the company that bought the property in 2018, increased the monthly rent from €500 (£428; $572) to €2,650 (£2,280; $3,020).
Rental costs in Madrid have soared by more than 100 per cent over the last decade, according to property website Idealista.
The company later offered to reduce the rent to €1,650, still €300 more than Abascal’s monthly pension.
Three earlier attempts to evict her had been blocked by the courts, and her case attracted widespread support from members of the public and celebrities.
— BBC
Read the *Ghanaian Times* and *The Spectator* newspapers digitally on [TimesNewsPlus](https://timesnewsplus.com/newspapers).
Follow our WhatsApp Channel now! https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAjG7g3gvWajUAEX12Q
