The elderly woman whose eviction from her home sparked a massive protest - and the collapse of Spain's government has died

María del Carmen Abascal, the 87-year-old elderly woman who was evicted from her apartment in Madrid and sparked a massive housing protest, has passed away. Her eviction led to mass demonstrations, the advancement of elections in Spain, and the collapse of Sánchez's government. Her family said the return agreement came too late.

María del Carmen Abascal, the 87-year-old elderly woman at the center of the housing protest that erupted in Spain, passed away today (Wednesday) at Gregorio Marañón Hospital. Abascal's eviction from her apartment in the upscale Retiro neighborhood in Madrid on September 23, after living there for more than 70 years since she was 17, brought tens of thousands to the streets in protest over the housing crisis. Last week, her lawyer announced that UrbaGestion, the company that owns the apartment, offered her an agreement allowing her to return home under conditions, but her family said the arrangement came too late. The protest led Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to announce the dissolution of the government and early elections on November 29. Sánchez tried to curb criticism by proposing a law named after her to ban evictions until 2030, but it was rejected in parliament. Abascal was evacuated on a stretcher while her supporters chanted her nickname, "MariCarmen." Her father rented the apartment in 1956, and after a change of ownership in 2018, the investment fund raised the rent from €500 to €2,650, and later reduced it to €1,650 - a 230% increase that her pension did not cover.

The elderly woman whose eviction from her home sparked a massive protest - and the collapse of Spain's government has died