María del Carmen Abascal, the 87-year-old woman whose eviction from her home sparked widespread protests in Spain and prompted Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to call national elections, died on Tuesday.
Her representatives announced her death in a statement, using the shortened form of her given names, "Maricarmen," by which she had become widely known. Ms. Abascal was evicted from her Madrid apartment on Sept. 23 after police broke down her door. She was carried out on a stretcher and hospitalized. Her lawyer later reached an agreement with the company that owned the apartment to allow her return, but "this solution came too late."
The eviction touched a nerve among Spaniards fed up with the housing crisis. Tens of thousands protested skyrocketing rents and evictions. The eviction also brought about the end of the minority government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez after a housing bill was rejected, prompting snap elections for Nov. 29.
Ms. Abascal's eviction marked a "turning point" in Spain, her representatives said. They vowed to "defend the right to housing and fight against speculators" and honor her request to "fight, keep fighting for what is yours."
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