HIBAPRESS – Agencies
The Spanish woman Maria Carmen Abascal, known as "Maricarmen", passed away at the age of 87 on Wednesday, October 7th, at Gregorio Marañón Hospital in Madrid, about two weeks after being evicted from the home she had lived in for over 71 years.
The Madrid Tenants Union announced her death, confirming that she had been admitted to the hospital immediately after the eviction order was carried out on September 23rd.
Maricarmen had become a prominent figure in Spain's housing crisis after she was carried out of her apartment in Madrid's Retiro neighborhood on a stretcher, amidst dozens of protesters who tried to prevent the eviction.
She had been living in the apartment since 1956, before its ownership was transferred to a real estate company and a long legal battle began over the lease agreement and its value.
Images of the elderly woman being removed from her home sparked widespread anger and protests in several Spanish cities, and her case became a symbol for the demand for affordable housing and tenant protection.
The protests culminated in a sit-in at "Puerta del Sol" square in central Madrid, bringing the housing issue to the forefront of public debate in the country.
Maria Carmen had managed, after escalating public pressure, to reach an agreement that allowed her to return to her home, but she passed away before she could return. Thus ends the story of the woman who, in a few weeks, transformed from a retiree facing an eviction order into a national symbol of protests related to Spain's housing crisis.
