María del Carmen Abascal, known to millions as “Maricarmen,” died in hospital on Wednesday. Her lawyer, Beatriz Duro, confirmed the news to Cadena Ser radio but withheld the specific cause of death. The 87-year-old had been hospitalized after police forcibly removed her from her long-time apartment on September 23.
She was carried out on a stretcher as officers cordoned off the street, clearing away a crowd that had gathered to block the eviction. For seven decades, that apartment had been her entire world. She lived there with her parents, worked as a secretary for a pharmaceutical board, and eventually spent her retirement walking the neighborhood. Both her parents died in those four walls.
Her death ignited a fresh wave of fury. Around 1,000 protesters had already camped in Madrid’s central Puerta del Sol for the previous week. When the news broke, crowds gathered near the Parliament, chanting, “Maricarmen lives, the fight goes on!” Iciar López, a 32-year-old psychologist at the scene, told AP that the tragedy was “the cause, the head of this whole revolution.” She expressed anger that Abascal would never see if their demands bore fruit.
The political fallout is severe. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez offered condolences on social media, calling the loss one shared by "all of us." Housing Minister Isabel Rodríguez lamented the death, while Conservative leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo stated that no party should use the tragedy for political advantage. The Madrid Tenants’ Union noted that an agreement allowing Abascal to return to her home had been reached, but it arrived too late.
The case exposed the brutal mechanics of Spain’s housing market. Real estate companies sought to rent the property at premium prices, displacing vulnerable residents. Idealista data shows the average rent per square metre in Spain has nearly doubled since 2016, rising from €8.20 to €15.10. Government-owned rentals make up less than 2% of the housing stock, far below the EU average of 8%.
Sánchez has already called an early election for November 29, following his government's failure to secure parliamentary backing for emergency eviction controls. As Eugenio Melchor, 22, put it at the protest: “They have killed her. I mean, there’s no other word for it, and I hope those responsible for this pay and go to trial.”