María del Carmen Abascal, an 87-year-old who became a symbol of Spain's housing crisis protests, has died. Her death follows her eviction two weeks ago from a Madrid apartment she had occupied for more than seven decades.
The pensioner's apartment was bought by an investment firm that sought to increase her rent by 230%. Scenes of her eviction, which involved police using teargas, made headlines across Spain and sparked anger.
Approximately 10,000 people protested in Madrid hours after the eviction, with demonstrations spreading nationwide. This wave of outrage led Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to call a snap general election after proposed emergency housing decrees were rejected by rightwing and far-right parties.
Sánchez offered condolences to Abascal's family and friends. Spain's health minister, Mónica García, stated that Abascal's situation had "served to awaken awareness across all of Spain."
The Madrid tenants' union said the solution came too late for Abascal, stating that the events triggered by her eviction mark a turning point in the country's history, placing the housing debate at its centre.