Spanish housing protest symbol Maricarmen Abascal dies at 87

María del Carmen Abascal, whose eviction from her Madrid home sparked nationwide protests and led to early national elections, died on Wednesday at the age of 87.

The Madrid Tenants' Union announced Abascal's death on Wednesday, calling her ordeal a "turning point" for Spain. Abascal had lived in her apartment in Madrid’s Retiro district for 70 years but was evicted on a stretcher two weeks ago after a property fund drastically increased her rent. According to Euronews, she was removed on the fourth eviction attempt while under media scrutiny.

Following the eviction, Abascal was hospitalized for exhaustion. While a historic agreement was eventually reached to allow her to return to her home, the Madrid Tenants' Union stated the solution came "too late" after a "torturous" and "entirely avoidable" experience. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his condolences on X, stating he felt the loss as his own and sending love to her family.

Abascal’s situation became the face of a mounting housing crisis, triggering mass demonstrations and activists camping in Madrid's Puerta del Sol square. Deutsche Welle and Euronews reported that the unrest, combined with the defeat of housing reform legislation, prompted Prime Minister Sánchez to dissolve Parliament and call for early national elections on November 29.

In response to her death, protesters in Madrid held a minute of silence. Trade unions UGT and CCOO have now called for a nationwide general strike on November 11. The unions are demanding better salaries, price controls, and an end to real estate speculation that they say makes access to decent housing nearly impossible.

Background

Abascal was evicted after she was unable to pay increased rent imposed by the company owning her building. Her plight gained national attention after right-wing opposition parties voted down emergency government decrees intended to address the housing crisis.