Death of evicted Madrid resident fuels fierce political showdown over mourning

On Wednesday, 87-year-old Mariceland Abascal died in hospital after being evicted from her home, which she had occupied since 1956. Her attorney, Beatriz Duro, said the emotional trauma of the eviction likely hastened her death. The opposition demanded a minute of silence in the Madrid City Council, but Mayor José Luís Martínez Almeida declined the request.

A similar plea was rejected in the regional assembly, where the Popular group opposed it, though some left-wing members observed a tribute in the building’s hall. Parties on the right, including PP, Vox and Junts, denounced what they called a manipulation of the victim’s image, while the left accused them of politicising the tragedy. The case has revived debate over housing rights, a topic the left plans to foreground in the upcoming general election, and a recent Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas poll shows a large share of Spaniards are worried about housing affordability.