Elderly Spanish Woman at Center of Housing Rights Movement Dies

Maricarmen Abascal became a symbol of Spain’s fight for affordable housing.

On Wednesday, the Tenants Union confirmed that Maricarmen Abascal, the 87-year-old woman whose eviction in Madrid sparked protests in favor of the right to decent housing in Spain, died after 15 days of hospitalization.

Her fight to avoid being expelled from the rental apartment where she lived for 71 years strengthened the protests that led to an encampment in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol and pushed the Spanish government to approve two decrees.

These measures were later repealed by Congress with votes from conservative parties, which precipitated the snap election that President Pedro Sanchez announced on Monday.

“We regret to inform that Maricarmen passed away today. Although a historic agreement was reached that would have allowed her to return to her home, the solution came too late. An absolutely avoidable situation after a torturous process,” the Tenants Union stated.

The agreement was reached on September 28 with the company that owns the property where Maricarmen lived, so that this elderly woman with 50% disability and mobility problems could return to her home.

Around 120,000 protestors took the streets of Barcelona Monday, calling for a general strike to stop evictions amid soaring rent costs. The demonstration took place just one day after Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for snap elections after failing to push housing reforms… pic.twitter.com/bcUcecLrby

— BreakThrough News (@BTnewsroom) October 6, 2026

Symbol of the Fight for Affordable Housing

Maricarmen had a rental contract with an affordable old rent, originally signed by her father and later subrogated to her mother. After acquiring the apartment, the owning company considered that the contract was expired and demanded a new rent from the elderly woman that she could not pay.

Finally, despite negotiation attempts by her lawyer, the Housing Ministry and several proposals from citizens willing to take charge of the rent payment, Maricarmen was evicted on the fourth attempt.

Her image being taken out of her house on a stretcher and transferred to the hospital spurred massive protests. Amid the mobilizations, the property owner ended up reaching a pact for Maricarmen to return to her home with a price that would not exceed 30% of her net income.

Maricarmen has become in Spain a symbol of the fight for housing. The Tenants Union said that it keeps her example and legacy and that it will comply with what she always asked of them: “fight, keep fighting for what is yours.”

“The events unleashed before the injustice of her eviction undoubtedly represent a before and after in the history of this country: massive demonstrations, encampments in the plazas, snap election and call for a general strike,” the Tenants Union noted, noting that the housing debate “is at the center” but that the “cost of getting here has been too high.”

“Your family, your lawyer and your union will continue defending the right to housing and fighting against speculators, with the strength and courage you taught us. We will continue fighting for you, for all women, as you always wanted,” the activists said.

The Maricarmen Decree

Maricarmen’s example and face accompanied the first weeks of mobilizations after her eviction. From the hospital, she made videos to request approval of the so-called “Maricarmen decree” with housing measures, while the Executive promoted two decrees, which Congress of Deputies ultimately struck down.

After the snap general election, the Spanish government has again approved two housing decrees, which will be debated and voted on in the Permanent Deputation of Congress on October 16, where the political arithmetic is different from Congress and there are possibilities that they will be approved.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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