Maricarmen, Spanish Eviction Symbol, Dies at 87

María del Carmen Abascal, the 87-year-old woman whose forced removal from a Madrid apartment she had occupied for 70 years triggered widespread demonstrations and a political reckoning, died on Wednesday while in the hospital.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his condolences on social media following the announcement by housing activists and Abascal’s legal team. Known affectionately as “Maricarmen,” she became an emblematic figure for tenants battling Spain’s escalating housing affordability challenges.

“All my love to Maricarmen’s family and loved ones,” Sánchez wrote on the platform X. “A hug as well to all of us who feel this loss as our own today. Rest in peace.”

The news intensified emotions among demonstrators gathered near the Spanish Parliament, where chants of “Maricarmen lives, the fight goes on!” echoed through the streets. Iciar López, a 32-year-old psychologist attending the protest, told The Associated Press that she felt profound sorrow mixed with anger that Abascal would not live to see the movement’s potential outcomes.

Abascal’s case, which garnered international media coverage, began on September 23 when police removed protesters from the street and carried the wheelchair-using senior citizen on a stretcher out of her home due to her fragile health. The televised images of the eviction galvanized thousands of citizens to take to the streets in Madrid and other cities across the nation.

Beatriz Duro, Abascal’s lawyer, confirmed the death to Cadena Ser radio but did not disclose the specific cause. She described the case as highlighting the “shameful violence” inherent in such evictions and their severe health impacts.

In the wake of the public outcry, the real estate company responsible for the eviction agreed to allow Abascal to return to the apartment, which they intended to re-rent at a significantly higher rate. However, the Madrid Tenants’ Union noted in a statement that the agreement arrived too late, calling the situation “entirely avoidable” following the trauma Abascal endured.

Data from the real estate website Idealista indicates that average rents in Spain have nearly doubled over the past decade. The Spanish government reported that 26% of renters spend an average of 40% of their income on rent and utilities, a figure substantially higher than the European Union average of 18%.

Abascal had lived in the same apartment her entire life, first residing there with her parents and brother before working as a secretary for a pharmaceutical company board. She returned to the home after retiring in 1998, where both of her parents had also passed away.