Maricarmen Abascal, the 87-year-old Madrid resident whose eviction after seven decades triggered mass housing protests and a national political uproar, has died in hospital. Her case galvanized the Spain Tenants Union and triggered a snap general election after emergency housing reforms stalled in parliament.
Maricarmen Abascal passed away on Wednesday at the Gregorio Marañón Hospital in Madrid, as confirmed by the Sindicato de Inquilinas.
She had remained hospitalized since her forced removal on September 23 from her home on Calle Alcalde Sainz de Baranda in the Retiro district, where she had lived for seven decades. Hospital officials noted she was receiving treatment for anxiety following the traumatic eviction.
Her death closes a chapter on an ordeal that began when the real estate firm Urbagestión purchased her apartment in 2018. The company demanded a rent increase of more than three times her previous monthly payment of €500 (£420). Despite living on a €1,400 pension and never missing a payment, Abascal faced displacement because the tenancy agreement—originally signed by her father during the Francisco Franco dictatorship—could not be transferred twice under existing property regulations.
Madrid Eviction Triggers National Political Turmoil
Images of Abascal being wheeled out of her apartment by emergency medical services while riot police managed crowds outside ignited widespread outrage. Activists from the tenants union established a prominent protest camp in Madrid’s central Puerta del Sol plaza, turning her personal battle into a national focal point for the country’s severe housing shortage.
Public pressure forced political action in Spain. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and his left-wing government rushed urgent housing reforms to parliament in response to the demonstrations. However, when those measures were defeated in a legislative vote, Sánchez called a snap general election.
Agreement Arrives Too Late for Abascal
While Abascal lay in her hospital bed, mediation efforts involving Madrid city hall and the property company eventually yielded a breakthrough. The firm agreed to let her return home under her original €500 monthly rent terms. Yet the victory was entirely hollow, described by the tenants union as an absolutely avoidable situation resulting from a torturous process.
Although a historic agreement was reached that would have allowed her to return to her home, this solution has come far too late. An entirely preventable situation following a torturous process.
Sindicato de Inquilinas, via El Español
Tenants Union Schedules General Strike for November
Even from her hospital room, Abascal used video messages to urge activists to maintain their pressure on the government, famously advising young campers in Sol plaza to defend their rights.
With more than 60 evictions occurring daily across the country, the tenants union and Spain’s main labor organizations have scheduled a one-day general strike for November 11. The signees of the union statement noted that the massive demonstrations, square encampments, early election call, and general strike represent a turning point in the nation’s history, although they warned that the price paid to reach this juncture was far too high. Meanwhile, the Council of Ministers has reintroduced two housing texts to parliament, hoping to salvage legislative protections through the Diputación Permanente during the electoral interregnum. As the housing crisis intensifies and eviction rates continue to climb, supporters have vowed to carry forward her lifelong fight for housing justice across the nation, continuing to battle against speculators just as she always desired.
Luchad, seguid luchando por lo que es vuestro.
Maricarmen Abascal, via El País
Will those measures survive the parliamentary deadlock?
