María del Carmen Abascal, known as Maricarmen, has died at the age of 87 after becoming one of the most recognisable figures in Spain's recent housing protests.

Maricarmen died on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at Madrid's Hospital Gregorio Marañón, according to the Sindicato de Inquilinas, her family and legal representatives. She had been in hospital since September 23, the day she was evicted from the home where she had lived for around seven decades.

A Home She Had Lived in for 70 Years

Maricarmen's home was located on Calle Alcalde Sainz de Baranda in Madrid's Retiro district, in the neighbourhood of Ibiza.

The location is important to clarify because, despite its name, the neighbourhood of Ibiza is part of Madrid and is unrelated to Ibiza island.

Her father originally rented the property in 1956. Maricarmen subsequently continued living there under an old regulated rental contract and spent most of her life in the apartment.

Her case centred on the succession of that historic rental contract and a long-running legal dispute with the property's owner.

The Eviction

The eviction was finally carried out on September 23 after several previous attempts had been suspended.

Maricarmen was taken from the apartment on a stretcher and transferred to the Hospital Gregorio Marañón. Her health had already deteriorated considerably and she had been using a wheelchair.

Her case attracted widespread attention, with housing activists gathering outside the property and demonstrations subsequently taking place in Madrid and other Spanish cities.

From hospital, Maricarmen continued to send messages to supporters and encouraged people involved in the housing protests to continue defending their rights.

An Agreement Came Too Late

Following the public mobilisation around her case, an agreement was reached with the property's owner that would have allowed Maricarmen to return to her home after leaving hospital.

However, she never had the opportunity to return.

Her family, lawyer and the Sindicato de Inquilinas said in a statement following her death that the agreement had come too late. The organisation described her case as an important moment in Spain's housing debate and said her legacy would continue through the movement for the right to housing.

A National Symbol of the Housing Debate

Maricarmen's eviction quickly became more than an individual housing dispute.

Her case helped fuel demonstrations and encampments focused on Spain's housing crisis, while the slogan "Todos somos Maricarmen" became associated with the movement.

The Sindicato de Inquilinas has described her as an example of resistance and said her case represented a turning point in the national debate over access to housing.

Political and housing organisations subsequently referred to her case during discussions about measures aimed at protecting tenants and addressing Spain's housing problems.

Her Death

Maricarmen died on October 7 after approximately two weeks in hospital.

At the time of publication, no public medical report had established a specific medical cause of death or demonstrated that the eviction itself caused her death. The sequence of events is clear: she was evicted on September 23, was taken to hospital that same day and remained there until her death.

Her lawyer and representatives of the tenants' movement have argued that the eviction process had a serious impact on her physical and emotional health. Those statements should be understood as their assessment rather than as an officially established medical finding.

Maricarmen's death closes one of the most closely followed housing cases in Spain in 2026, while the wider debate over affordable housing, rental costs and tenant protection continues.