María del Carmen Abascal, whose full name was María del Carmen Abascal, died on Wednesday, two weeks after being evicted from her home in Madrid.
The 87-year-old woman had lived in the same apartment in the exclusive Retiro area for more than 70 years. But after a sharp rent increase when the property changed hands in 2018, she could no longer afford it.
The case sparked mass demonstrations against Spain’s housing crisis, culminating in Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez calling new elections after failing to get his proposed measures passed.
The Madrid Tenants’ Association calls Maricarmen’s fate “a turning point in the country’s history.”
Prime Minister Sánchez expressed his condolences on X after the announcement: “All my love to Maricarmen’s family and loved ones.”
