Real Estate
A Symbol of Spain’s Broken Housing Market: Evicted 87-Year-Old Dies, Igniting Countrywide Demonstrations
María del Carmen Abascal, an 87-year-old Spanish pensioner whose eviction sparked nationwide demonstrations against Spain's housing crisis, died on October 7, 2026. Known as Maricarmen, she had lived in her Madrid apartment since 1956 before being forcibly removed on September 23 following a prolonged dispute over her rental agreement. An agreement allowing her to return home was reached days later, but she died before leaving hospital. Her case prompted mass protests, intensified debates over rent controls and tenant protections, and contributed to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez calling an early general election for November 29, 2026.