‘Maricarmen,’ Whose Eviction Enraged Spaniards, Dies at 87
María del Carmen Abascal, a Spanish pensioner known as Maricarmen, has died at 87, according to Madrid’s tenants union, the BBC reported.
Her eviction from her Madrid flat became a focus of public anger over Spain’s housing crisis and prompted protests. The dispute also fueled a political row that led to early elections, the BBC said.
A legal issue allowed the property’s owner, investment company Urbagestión, to raise her monthly rent from €500 to €2,650. The rent was later reduced to €1,650, still above Abascal’s pension, according to the BBC.
The company offered to let her return at a lower rent, but she was hospitalized and could not sign an agreement. The BBC reported that Congress rejected emergency housing legislation last week after the case intensified pressure on the coalition government.
Where this came from
NYT World News did not allow its article to be shown here. This version was written by Sureno, in its own words, from other reporting:
- BBC News — Spanish pensioner whose eviction sparked nationwide protests dies, union says