Woman whose eviction led to mass protests in Spain dies
The Spaniard, known as Maricarmen, was hospitalized in late September amid years of attempts to evict her from the Madrid apartment where she had lived for more than 70 years. This provoked mass protests and led to the dissolution of parliament
Spain's Maria del Carmen Abascal (Maricarmen), whose eviction from her apartment sparked mass protests amid a surge in rents across the country, has died at the age of 87. This is reported by El Mundo with reference to the statement of the Madrid Union of Tenants.
The woman since 1956 lived in the center of Madrid in a rented apartment, which was rented by her father. The apartment of 94 sq m accommodates three bedrooms and one bathroom.
In 2018, the building was transferred to new owners, and the Maricarmen apartment was subsequently acquired by Urbagestión. The woman paid about €440 for rent. Urbagestión offered a new contract for €1,600 a month, while Maricarmen's pension was about €1,400. She did not agree to the new terms and the dispute continued in the courts.
On September 23, 2026, the pensioner was carried out on a stretcher from the house and taken to the hospital. The widespread proliferation of eviction cadres has provoked criticism of government agencies and real estate investment companies across Spain. Later, under pressure from a public campaign, Urbagestión agreed to return the apartment to her on terms comparable to the previous ones.
Immediately after Maricarmen’s hospitalization, demonstrations began in Madrid, a few days later the protests took on a national scale: protests under the slogan “No Maricarmen more” took place in at least 11 more cities, including Barcelona, Valencia, Burgos, Ibiza and Córdoba. Demonstrators demanded stronger protection of tenants’ rights amid housing shortages and skyrocketing rents. The number of participants in the housing protests in Madrid alone reached 70,000. A tent camp appeared near the congress building in Puerta del Sol Square, which by September 30 had grown to about 500 tents.
The Spanish government tried to calm the population by introducing two bills to the parliament to soften housing policy, but both initiatives did not find sufficient support due to resistance from several parties.
Amid ongoing protests against the housing crisis, on October 3, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez dissolved parliament and declared early elections.
