Evicted Madrid tenant dies as Spain’s housing crisis drives political upheaval
The Madrid Tenants’ Union says Maricarmen Abascal, 87, has died. Her eviction became a rallying point for protests and debate over housing policy.
Maricarmen Abascal, the 87-year-old Madrid tenant whose eviction fuelled protests over Spain’s housing crisis, has died, the Madrid Tenants’ Union said on Wednesday. The union gave no cause of death.
Abascal was evicted from her home on 23 September after the company that owned the flat sharply increased the rent. She was removed on a stretcher and later hospitalised with exhaustion.
The eviction prompted demonstrations across Spain, including a protest camp at Madrid’s Puerta del Sol, and intensified pressure on the minority left-wing government to introduce housing measures. Proposals included tighter restrictions on evictions and automatic renewal of tenant contracts.
The union said an agreement with the flat’s owner allowed Abascal to return home, but called the resolution too late after what it described as a “torturous process”.
Parliament rejected proposed housing measures last week. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez then called a snap election for 29 November, bringing the vote forward from 2027. The union said housing would be at the centre of the election debate, while describing the cost of reaching that point as too high.
