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Evicted 87-year-old who became a symbol of Spain’s housing crisis has died
CNN • • world
Key Points:
- Maria del Carmen Abascal, an 87-year-old woman evicted from her Madrid home after rent was raised from €500 to €2,650, has died weeks after the eviction, sparking widespread grief and protests in Spain.
- Her eviction, carried out by a private investment company, triggered nationwide demonstrations against Spain's housing crisis, including a large encampment in Madrid's Puerta del Sol.
- Although the landlord later agreed to let her return home, the agreement came too late as Maricarmen remained hospitalized after the eviction.
- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called an early election for late November following the government's failure to pass housing reform laws, aiming to regain public support amid the crisis.
- The conservative Popular Party, opposing regulatory reforms, leads in polls and advocates addressing the housing shortage by increasing construction rather than imposing regulations.
