87-year-old Spanish woman Maricarmen Abascal has died in hospital two weeks after her eviction, which sparked mass protests against housing shortages. “We regret to announce that Maricarmen passed away today,” said the tenants’ association, which had been assisting the woman before she was taken by the police from the apartment in Madrid where she had lived for 70 years on September 23 after years of fighting with her landlord.
The outrage over the forced eviction sparked mass protests under the slogan “Ni una Maricarmen más” (“Not another Maricarmen”). A protest camp was set up in the central Placa de Sol square in Madrid. The government responded with decrees for better tenant protection, which were rejected by the right-wing majority in parliament on Friday. The left-wing head of government Pedro Sánchez then scheduled new elections for November 29th on Monday. And the unions announced a general strike that will bring the country to a standstill on November 11th.
Prime Minister condoles the relatives
Sánchez expressed his condolences to the relatives. “All my sympathy goes out to Maricarmen’s family and relatives. A silent greeting also to everyone who feels this loss as their own today. May she rest in peace,” he wrote on the X platform.
Health Minister Mónica García also spoke on
Abascal was taken directly from her apartment to a hospital two weeks ago. Already very weak, she turned to the Spaniards from her sick bed. “I failed to defend my home, but I fought to make others fight for what was right for them,” she said from her hospital bed.
In view of the outrage over the woman’s fate, there was even an agreement with the landlord to return to the apartment, but Abascal was already too weak.