Maricarmen Abascal, 87, whose eviction in Spain sparked housing protests, dies in Madrid hospital

Maricarmen Abascal, an 87-year-old woman in Spain, died on October 7, 2026, in a Madrid hospital, two weeks after being evicted from her home of 70 years. Her eviction, which was captured on video, sparked nationwide protests over housing costs and led Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to call an early election. The Madrid Tenants' Union announced her death, noting that a deal to let her return home came too late.