According to Reuters, Maricarmen passed away on October 7 at the Gregorio Marañón hospital in Madrid. She had been there since September 23, when police and social workers carried her out on a stretcher from her apartment in the Retiro district of Madrid. After the eviction, the woman suffered from severe anxiety and exhaustion. The official cause of death has not been announced. The story of the pensioner sparked widespread public resonance. Activists organized a tent camp in Puerta del Sol square in central Madrid, demanding an end to evictions and measures against the rapid rise in rent prices. Later, under public pressure, an agreement was reached for Maricarmen to return to her apartment. However, she did not have time to take advantage of this opportunity. In a joint statement, relatives, a lawyer, and the Tenants' Union emphasized that the decision came too late. After the news of the woman's death, thousands of people took to the streets of Madrid. Demonstrators marched from Puerta del Sol to the parliament, accusing the authorities of inaction. Protests also took place in Barcelona. The President of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez, expressed condolences to the family of the deceased. ### A general strike is scheduled for November 11 The largest Spanish trade unions UGT and CCOO, along with tenant organizations and other trade union associations, have announced a 24-hour nationwide strike. Participants are demanding affordable housing, limits on rent increases, and higher incomes for the population. According to Reuters, this will be the first general strike in 14 years jointly supported by the two largest trade unions in the country. The scale of the problem is also reflected in economic indicators. According to the Bank of Spain, the country lacks about 750,000 housing units, and by 2028, the deficit could exceed one million. The average monthly rent is 1,176 euros—almost as much as the average monthly salary of a young person in Spain, according to data from the country's Youth Council. ### The housing crisis led to early elections The protests coincided with a political crisis. Parliament rejected two government decrees that provided for additional restrictions on evictions and measures to curb rent prices. After that, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced early parliamentary elections for November 29 instead of the previously scheduled date in 2027. The housing issue has become one of the central themes of the election campaign. The story of Maricarmen Abascal, which began as a struggle of an elderly woman for the right to remain in her own home, has turned into a nationwide movement. Her death intensified the protests, and the issue of housing affordability now directly impacts Spain's political future.
