Death of Spanish Tenant Reignites Eviction Protests Ahead of Election

The death of 87-year-old María del Carmen Abascal, known widely as Maricarmen, two weeks after her eviction from a lifelong Madrid residence, has reignited Spanish protests against housing affordability and evictions. Her case has become a potent symbol for millions struggling with housing costs, further intensifying a key issue ahead of Spain's national election next month.

Following news of her death, sympathizers created an impromptu shrine with candles, flowers, and letters at Madrid's Puerta del Sol, the site of a two-week protest camp by around 1,000 individuals demonstrating against Spain's housing affordability crisis. The eviction on September 23 had captured national attention.

Protesters and supporters believe Maricarmen's death was a consequence of her eviction. Thousands protested last month when police removed Maricarmen, who used a wheelchair, from her home of seven decades. She later died in a hospital, though her lawyer has not disclosed the cause of death. Chants of "These are not deaths, they are murders" echoed during a march toward Parliament on Wednesday evening.

"Her death shocked us and left us all incredibly sad, but I believe it will give us more energy and conviction to keep protesting and demanding our rights so that there is not one more murder," said María Holgado, a 28-year-old receptionist and protester, emphasizing that "the blame falls on the property owners and vulture funds that are taking advantage of a basic right and making loads of money from it." Holgado noted that she and her partner can only afford a small, one-room apartment, a situation reflective of rising rents, which have nearly doubled in Spain over the past decade, according to real estate website Idealista.

Similar protests and camp-ins are active in Barcelona and other major cities, with organizers like Madrid's Tenants Union calling for further demonstrations.

The televised images of Maricarmen being removed from her home had a significant impact on Spanish politics. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez initially proposed emergency housing measures to halt evictions and curb real estate speculation. When these efforts were blocked in Parliament by right-wing parties, Sánchez called snap elections and subsequently reissued similar decrees to be ratified by an interim Parliament.

Sánchez, aiming to mobilize progressive voters around the housing issue for the November 29 election, offered condolences to Maricarmen's family. Political analysts suggest that the tragedy could galvanize progressive voters, particularly those supporting Sánchez's coalition partner, Sumar, which is rebranding as Frente Amplio for the election and has long advocated for stronger housing regulations.

"In political terms, this will be remembered as a milestone," said Alejandro Quiroga, a politics professor at Madrid's Complutense University. "Her death completes the narrative that evictions and real estate speculation literally kill."

On Thursday, members of left-wing parties observed a moment of silence outside Madrid's regional parliament and townhall. Politicians from the conservative Popular Party and the far-right Vox party did not participate. Right-wing parties have also urged the government to forcibly break up the protest camp in Puerta del Sol, a request the government has denied.

Regional and municipal governments led by the Popular Party have previously opposed Sánchez's government's attempts to regulate rental costs, arguing that such regulations hinder investment in a sector that Spain needs to expand to create hundreds of thousands of new homes. Madrid's conservative mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, accused Sánchez of politicizing Maricarmen's death, stating, "My condolences? Yes. Participating in Sánchez’s campaign for Nov. 29? No."