‘Please fight’: How an elderly woman’s eviction put Spain’s housing crisis in the spotlight

Maricarmen’s Eviction Becomes a Flashpoint in Spain’s Housing Struggle

Sandego.net – The removal of an 87-year-old woman from the Madrid apartment she had called home for more than seven decades has turned into a national symbol of anxiety over housing access in Spain. María del Carmen Abascal, widely known as Maricarmen, was evicted on Wednesday from her residence in the El Retiro district, prompting demonstrations in Madrid and other major cities.

Her case has brought renewed attention to the insecurity felt by many tenants as rents rise and long-established residents face pressure from property owners. For supporters, the issue extends beyond a single apartment near El Retiro Park: it is a question of whether older people and low-income tenants can remain in the communities where they have spent their lives.

Protests spread from Madrid

Tens of thousands of people marched in Madrid on Saturday in opposition to Maricarmen’s eviction. Some protesters spent the night in Puerta del Sol, and more people arrived Sunday, including families spanning several generations.

Demonstrators called for stronger protections for renters and for a halt to evictions when an affected person has no suitable alternative home nearby. Anger over the case also prompted solidarity actions in Barcelona, Seville and Valencia.

Officials in Madrid said nearly 10,000 people assembled in the capital on Wednesday afternoon, shortly after the eviction. The gathering mixed support for Maricarmen with broader frustration about the growing difficulty of securing affordable housing.

A home held since 1956

Abascal had lived in the apartment on Alcalde Sainz de Baranda Street since 1956. She grew up there with her parents and later assumed their tenancy after inheriting the lease. The home, close to El Retiro Park, had remained central to her life for generations.

Her arrangement was an older form of lease, with monthly rent of roughly 500 euros, or about $568. That situation changed after Urbagestión Desarrollo e Inversión bought the apartment building in March 2018 for 247,000 euros, equivalent to about $280,787.

Her legal representative, Beatriz Duro, said the company subsequently sought rent payments as much as four times higher. Maricarmen receives a pension of 1,300 euros per month, or around $1,478, leaving little room to absorb such an increase.

A long legal battle

In March 2020, the property company began legal proceedings to end the lease. Abascal initially won in a lower court, but the Provincial Court later ruled for the company after an appeal.

Duro pursued further legal avenues, submitting a constitutional-protection petition to Spain’s Constitutional Court and an appeal to the Supreme Court. Both efforts were rejected. Meanwhile, Urbagestión sought enforcement of the lease termination in order to recover possession of the property.

The dispute led to as many as four attempted evictions. In October 2025, Maricarmen’s defense secured a four-month delay through a legal provision available when the claimant is a legal entity. A further eviction date in June 2026 was postponed for nearly a month because she was considered vulnerable and had nowhere else to live.

The case was rescheduled for July, and Duro again challenged the decision. Supporters and representatives continued trying to find an arrangement that would allow Abascal to stay in her home.

Efforts to find another solution

Among the options explored was mediation involving Casa 47, Spain’s state housing agency. The proposal was for the agency to purchase the apartment and rent it back to Abascal at a manageable price. On the day before the eviction, an unidentified person also offered to cover part of the rent.

Duro said the property company did not show interest in the alternatives put forward. The eventual eviction took place despite dozens of people gathering outside the building from the previous night in an attempt to stop it.

Immediately afterward, Abascal was taken by stretcher to Gregorio Marañón Hospital. She was expected to stay for several days while undergoing medical tests.

“Please fight”

From hospital, Maricarmen addressed those supporting her in a video released Friday. Her message connected the loss of her own home with the wider fight facing tenants across the country.

“I did not manage to defend my home, but I have fought so that others learn to fight for theirs.”

“My house has been my life. And now I have to leave it behind. But that does not mean I will not keep fighting.”

“Please fight.”

She thanked those who had mobilized around her and sent them “a very big hug.” Her appeal has resonated because it captures the emotional dimension of housing disputes: a residence is not merely a financial asset or a contract, but often the setting of family history, memories and social ties.

Maricarmen’s eviction does not by itself resolve Spain’s wider housing debate. But the scale of the response demonstrates how sharply the issue is felt, particularly where tenants fear that rising costs and changing ownership can uproot people from long-established homes. For many marching in Madrid, the demand was straightforward: housing policy must offer meaningful protection before a vulnerable resident reaches the point of eviction.