Maricarmen Abascal, 87, is transported on a stretcher to an ambulance, after she was evicted from the Madrid home where she had lived for more than seven decades after the apartment was acquired by an investment fund that sought a steep increase in her rent, despite efforts by housing activists to broker an alternative arrangement in Madrid, Spain, September 23, 2026. REUTERS/Susana Vera

Octagenarian whose eviction sparked Spain protests considering offer to return home

· The Straits Times

MADRID, Sept 29 - The 87-year-old woman whose dramatic eviction last week from the apartment she had lived in for over seven decades triggered protests across Spain is assessing her landlord's new offer to remain in the home, her lawyer said on Tuesday.

Maricarmen Abascal was removed from her home on a stretcher, sparking large demonstrations across the country, with hundreds encamped at Madrid's central Sol square in scenes reminiscent of the 2011 unrest over austerity measures during Spain's debt crisis.

Following social outcry and intense media attention, UrbaGestion, the fund that owns her apartment, offered a preliminary agreement late on Monday that could allow Abascal to return to her home if she agrees to its terms, her lawyer said on Tuesday.

"She should never have been forced to leave," Beatriz Duro told reporters. "I hope this case serves to provide a collective response to the housing crisis."

While welcoming the company's proposal, Duro criticised UrbaGestion for refusing until recently to negotiate or hold talks. She also accused local, regional and national authorities of failing to respond adequately to Spain's housing problem, particularly evictions that leave vulnerable people without alternative accommodation.

Activists want legal reforms including a rent freeze and the automatic renewal of leases without abusive rent hikes.

Official sources said the ruling Socialists had reached an agreement with junior partners Sumar on Tuesday for new measures to curb soaring rental prices, though they face an uphill battle to pass the decree in a fragmented parliament. REUTERS