Maria del Carmen Abascal, affectionately known as "Maricarmen," died in hospital on Wednesday, her lawyer confirmed. Weeks earlier, television images showed police carrying her out of the apartment where she had lived for seven decades. The case has sparked outrage across Spain and thrust the housing debate into the center of a political crisis.
According to activists, her case lays bare the human cost of soaring rents and aggressive evictions. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez led tributes online, calling her an "icon" of renters struggling with Spain's cost-of-living crisis. On X, he wrote: "All my love to the family and loved ones of Maricarmen. … Rest in peace."
Outside the parliament building, protesters gathered and chanted: "Maricarmen lives on. The fight continues!"
Her lawyer, Beatriz Duro, said activists were devastated, calling the eviction "shameful violence" and showing "the impact it can have on human health." Housing advocacy groups stressed that although an agreement was eventually reached allowing her to return home, it came "too late" after a "horrific ordeal."
Average rents in Spain have nearly doubled over the past decade. The government says more than a quarter of renters spend around 40 percent of their income on housing and utilities — more than double the European Union average.
Abascal's removal from her home so the owner could re-let it at a higher price has triggered protests across Spain, a general strike planned for next month and growing pressure on the political class. After failing to pass emergency housing measures, Sanchez has called an early election for November 29, hoping to turn public anger into support for his Socialist Party.
Conservative opposition leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo also offered his condolences, calling for "respect" and warning against exploiting Abascal's death for political ends.
