Overview
- The eviction of María del Carmen Abascal on September 23, when police carried the wheelchair user from her Madrid flat, triggered nationwide demonstrations and a weeks-long encampment at Puerta del Sol.
- Abascal was hospitalised with severe anxiety and exhaustion after the September 23 removal and the Madrid Tenants' Union confirmed she died in hospital on Wednesday.
- A deal that would have let her return to her home was reached after the eviction but supporters say the offer came too late to prevent her decline.
- Political fallout has been swift: parliament rejected emergency housing decrees, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called a November 29 snap election, and unions have scheduled a nationwide strike for November 11.
- The case has focused attention on Spain’s shortage of affordable homes, the role of investor-owned buildings in rent rises, and the choice facing voters between regulatory tenant protections and supply-focused policies.