A pensioner whose eviction became a symbol of Spain's housing crisis and sparked nationwide protests has died, according to a tenants' union.
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eviction → become → union
Maricarmen Abascal, 87, was removed from the Madrid flat she had called home for more than 70 years after reportedly being unable to afford a steep rent increase.
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she → remove → increase
Shocking scenes showed the frail grandmother being carried from the property on a stretcher in September, an incident that sparked nationwide protests and a political row.
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that → show → protests
She was taken to hospital following the court-ordered eviction and has now died, the Madrid Tenants' Union said.
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Union → take → eviction
'We regret to announce that Maricarmen passed away today,' the union said in a statement, adding that her case marked 'a turning point in the history of this country'.
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case → regret → country
Her case became a symbol of Spain's housing crisis and helped fuel calls for stronger protections for renters.
But proposed reforms were later rejected by parliament, sparking fresh protests across the country.
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reforms → become → country
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in cities across the country over the weekend following the defeat of the proposed legislation.
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thousands → take → legislation
A pensioner whose eviction became a symbol of Spain's housing crisis and sparked nationwide protests has died, according to a tenants' union
Maricarmen waits at home to see whether her eviction will go ahead or be prevented, on September 23, 2026
Maricarmen was removed from the property despite pleas from her supporters
Referring to the rejected measures, the Madrid Tenants' Union said: 'While a historic agreement was reached that would have allowed her to return to her home, this solution has come too late.
'
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solution → become → home
Abascal was carried from the property on September 23 following a dispute over a proposed 275 per cent rent increase.
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Abascal → carry → increase
Footage showed riot police forcing their way through a barricade of chairs, shelves and a lamp as supporters attempted to prevent the court-ordered eviction.
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supporters → show → eviction
Tens of thousands marched through Madrid on Saturday to protest her eviction and demand stronger protections for tenants amid a housing shortage and soaring rents.
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thousands → march → shortage
Abascal's lawyer, Beatriz Duro, said both sides had shown 'goodwill' and agreed a new contract under which she would pay a similar amount of rent.
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she → say → rent
Duro previously said Abascal, who was being treated for exhaustion, would sign the agreement once she felt well enough.
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she → say → agreement
She described the deal as the 'result of the social mobilisation', while supporters hailed it as a victory but vowed to continue campaigning against evictions and for more affordable housing.
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supporters → describe → housing
Abascal's father first rented the flat in Madrid's upmarket Retiro district in 1956.
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father → rent → 1956
She remained the tenant after her parents died, with her rent protected under an old tenancy agreement.
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rent → remain → agreement
Urbagestión Desarrollo e Inversión SL, owned by investment brothers Ricardo Alonso Fernández and Fernando Alonso Fuentes, bought the property in 2018.
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SL → own → 2018
Abascal had been paying around €440 (£379) a month, but the company later proposed increasing the rent to €1,650 (£1,420), according to Spanish reports.
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company → pay → reports
Three previous attempts to evict her were blocked by the courts.
The Bank of Spain estimates the country is short of around 700,000 homes.
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country → evict → homes
Protesters and police clash on September 23, 2026 in Madrid, Spain
Spanish riot police removes one of the activits, who were trying to prevent the eviction of Maricarmen Abascal
Thousands of demonstrators march through central Madrid, Spain, on September 26, to protest the recent eviction of Maricarmen Abascal
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has promised housing relief measures when his cabinet meets on Tuesday, while his Socialist Party, which lacks a parliamentary majority, hopes to pass legislation addressing public anger.
Ms Abascal's lawyer claims the building's owners had not spoken directly to her once in the eight years since the purchase.
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owners → clash → purchase
Both brothers are lawyers and have been administrators of Urbagestión since it was founded in 2005.
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it → found → 2005
The firm paid around €240,000 (£207,000) for Ms Abascal's apartment, according to reports.
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firm → pay → reports
The men are also linked to more than a dozen other companies, including businesses in property, construction and pharmacy sector advisory services.
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men → link → property
British pianist James Rhodes revealed after the eviction that he had contacted Urbagestión and offered to pay Ms Abascal's rent or buy the apartment so she could remain there.
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she → reveal → apartment
He said the firm rejected both proposals.
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firm → say → proposals
Supporters of Ms Abascal camped outside the building on September 22, joined by celebrities including Javier Bardem's brother, Carlos, and the singer Ana Belén, who read out the poem Desahucio (Eviction) by Rafael Alberti.
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who → camp → Alberti
Police carried out the court-ordered eviction, while health workers took Ms Abascal from the building as protesters chanted, 'Maricarmen, you are not alone'.
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you → carry → building
The legal battle reached the Supreme Court which ruled in favour of the firm, clearing the way for the eviction, the Madrid renters' union said.
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union → reach → eviction
Police officers charged and dragged away dozens of activists who had camped outside Ms Abascal's building to try to stop the eviction, to cries of 'shame!' from protesters.
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who → charge → protesters
After leaving the building, she was taken to the Gregorio Marañón Hospital.
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she → leave → Hospital
She refused the free emergency placement offered by the city and is thought to be staying with a relative.
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She → refuse → relative
Amnesty International Spain slammed 'a violation of human rights' and 'a system that puts the speculative interests of a vulture fund before Ms Abascal's right to stay in her house'.
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that → slam → house
'It isn't an isolated case, it is just another portrayal of the suffering that thousands of households go through in Spain,' Amnesty said in a statement.
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Amnesty → go → statement
In an interview with public broadcaster RTVE recorded on September 22, Ms Abascal called the company 'inhuman, and all in order to make money'.
'You cannot make a person live for seven years with a machete hanging over their neck,' she said, blaming the national, regional and city authorities for her plight.
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she → record → plight
Socialist Housing Minister Isabel Rodriguez insisted the minority Leftist government had repeatedly tried to pass a law to ban such evictions and accused the conservative-run Madrid region of 'rolling out the red carpet for these speculators'.
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government → insist → speculators
Housing has for years been a top concern for Spaniards as supply falls short of demand, with rents and purchasing prices soaring relentlessly as elsewhere in the European Union.
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rents → fall → Union
Residents in the world's second-most visited country blame short-term tourist rentals such as Airbnb for driving up prices and cutting supply, sparking protests in hotspots including Barcelona.
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Residents → visit → Barcelona
'I'm leaving Madrid, because Madrid isn't Madrid.
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Madrid → leave → Madrid
They are all the tourists that you have in Gran Via,' Ms Abascal told RTVE, referring to the Spanish capital's main commercial thoroughfare.
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Abascal → have → thoroughfare
This is a breaking news story, more to follow.
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This → break → ?
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