Maricarmen Abascal died in hospital on Oct. 7, two weeks after she was evicted from her Madrid apartment. Her case prompted protests across Spain and focused attention on housing affordability.
Her death prompted fresh vigils in Madrid. People left candles and flowers outside her former home, while demonstrators at Puerta del Sol held a memorial. The Associated Press reported that about 1,000 people had camped in the square to protest Spain’s housing affordability crisis.
Abascal was evicted on Sept. 23, when she was 87. AP reported that she had spent decades in a central Madrid apartment her family had rented many years earlier. After the eviction, she was hospitalized and urged supporters to keep pressing for tenants’ rights.
“I could not save my home, but I am fighting so that others can,” she said. Franceinfo quoted a local resident calling Abascal “our grandmother.” People at the vigil spoke of grief and anger.
Before her death, Abascal reached an agreement that would have allowed her to return to the apartment, but she died before a new lease was completed. El País reported that the proposed contract was for eight years. Her eviction became a rallying point for protests over housing costs. Reuters and AP reported that the housing crisis had become a major political issue and had helped lead to an early election.