87-Year-Old Spanish Woman Whose Eviction Sparked National Protests Has Died
87-Year-Old Spanish Woman Whose Eviction Sparked National Protests Has Died
Colson ThayerThu, October 8, 2026 at 12:35 AM UTC
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María del Carmen Abascal on Sept. 19, 2026, in Madrid, Spain.Credit: Francesco Militello Mirto/NurPhoto/Shutterstock -
María del Carmen Abascal, the 87-year-old Spaniard whose eviction sparks nationwide protests, has died
Abascal was removed from her Madrid apartment after living there for 71 years
Her rent rose beyond her pension after an investment fund acquired the property in 2018
A later agreement allowed her return but the local tenants’ union said it came too late
María del Carmen “Maricarmen” Abascal, the 87-year-old Spanish woman whose eviction caused hundreds of thousands of people to protest in the streets, has died.
“All my love to Maricarmen’s family and loved ones,” Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wrote in an X post on Oct. 7. “A hug to everyone today who feels this loss as our own. Rest in peace.”
In a statement shared with the BBC and CNN on Wednesday, the Madrid Tenants’ Union confirmed her death and added that her situation marked “a turning point in the history of this country.”
María del Carmen Abascal packs a bag with her belongings on Sept. 23, 2026, in Madrid, Spain.Credit: Fernando Sanchez/Europa Press via Getty
The woman lived in her Madrid apartment for 71 years until she was forcibly removed from her home on a stretcher on Sept. 23.
Urbagestión, an investment fund, acquired her apartment in 2018, according to Spanish outlet El País. The rent of her home then increased from €500 ($560) to €2,650 ($2,970). It was later lowered to €1,650 ($1,850), but still exceeded her monthly pension of €1,350 ($1,500).
In the eight years that followed — amid Spain’s rising affordable housing crisis — she continued to battle to stay in the unit. The case made it all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled against Abascal in March 2026, formally approving her removal. Following three previous attempts, her eviction was carried out on Sept. 23.
Abascal was notified to leave and given 30 minutes to pack her essential belongings. In response, several protesters were forcibly removed by the authorities from the building doorway, including being lifted by their arms and legs, per Reuters.
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Organizers take to the streets of Madrid, Spain, on Sept. 23, 2026, to protest the eviction of María del Carmen Abascal.Credit: Marcos del Mazo/LightRocket via Getty
Abascal was removed from the building on a stretcher and placed in an ambulance before she was driven away from the neighborhood. As the ambulance drove, supporters chanted “Maricarmen, you’re not alone!” and “Murderers!” On the night of the eviction, nearly 10,000 people appeared in the neighborhood to protest, chanting “Shame on you.”
Over the following weekend, about 950,000 people took part in demonstrations across the country, according to estimates from Madrid’s Tenant Union.
On Sept. 28, Abascal’s attorney, Beatriz Duro, met with Urbagestión and told a press conference there had been “goodwill from both parties,” per the BBC. The new agreement meant Abascal would pay a similar amount of rent to her original fee — 30% of her income — for a period of eight years. However, she never returned home before her death.
Although a historic agreement was reached that would have allowed her to return to her home, this solution came too late. An absolutely avoidable situation after a torturing process,” the union said in a statement.
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After news of her death was made public, protesters gathered at one of Madrid’s main squares, Puerta del Sol, which has become a protest encampment for many days.
on People
Source: “AOL Breaking”
