Evicted 87-year-old Maricarmen dies, sparking political clash in Madrid

Maricarmen Abascal, 87, died on October 7 at Madrid's Gregorio Marañón Hospital, two weeks after police forcibly evicted her from the Retiro district home where she had lived for over seven decades. The eviction, executed on September 23 by court order on behalf of the investment firm Urbagestión, had already drawn national attention and protests at Puerta del Sol.

Political leaders reacted sharply. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and several ministers expressed condolences on social media, while Health Minister Mónica García said Maricarmen's struggle "awakened consciences across Spain." ERC spokesperson Gabriel Rufián posted an expletive-laden condemnation. Opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo urged against politicising the death, accusing Sánchez of "trying to manipulate Spaniards emotionally."

“Your struggle awakened consciences across Spain and lit a fuse that will not go out.”

In the Madrid Assembly, the PP and Vox blocked a proposed minute of silence, arguing it would be used for partisan gain. Más Madrid and PSOE deputies held their own tribute in the atrium before the plenary session. Regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso labelled the opposition "political vultures" and blamed the eviction on a "socialist law" enacted by the central government.

The Tenants' Union of Madrid declared that "rentierism kills" and linked the case to Spain's broader housing crisis. Neighbourhood residents near Maricarmen's former home described an improvised shrine but also voiced unease about political instrumentalisation, with some stressing the wider plight of young people and the elderly in the housing market.