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Maricarmen Abascal, 87, who was hospitalized after being evicted from her home in Madrid, died on Wednesday. The cause of her death has not been disclosed. She had been receiving hospital treatment for severe distress and exhaustion following her eviction on September 23.
Abascal’s death fueled anger among protesters demonstrating in major Spanish cities over housing shortages and rising rents. Protesters criticized landlords for greed and chanted that the woman had been “murdered.”
Protests that began after Maricarmen’s eviction prompted socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to call an early parliamentary election for November 29. After her death, political leaders invoked Abascal’s case as they criticized their opponents.
Left-wing parties criticized conservatives who rejected measures aimed at curbing rent increases. Right-wing forces, meanwhile, said the centre-left government, which has been in power for eight years, had failed to resolve the crisis.
Deputies trade accusations in Madrid
In the capital, lawmakers accused one another of using Abascal’s case for political purposes.
The conservative People’s Party (PP), which holds an absolute majority in Madrid’s regional and local legislatures, rejected a proposal to observe a minute of silence in Abascal’s memory. Radical left-wing lawmakers then held a silent protest outside city hall.
During a tense debate in the regional parliament, they stood and applauded Abascal for 60 seconds. PP lawmakers remained seated with their arms crossed.
Madrid regional leader Isabel Díaz Ayuso, of the PP, blamed Sánchez, noting that the eviction took place under his government.
Manuela Bergerot, opposition leader for the left-wing Más Madrid party, said Abascal died because of “vile people who put profit above human life.” She said those responsible would carry that burden for the rest of their lives.
Bergerot added that the last thing Ayuso did while Abascal was alive was “laugh at her.” She was referring to Ayuso’s remarks on September 28: “At what age can I stop paying my landlords? Tell me.”
