María del Carmen Abascal has died at the age of 87. She was a well-known figure in Spain, often called 'Maricarmen' by the public.

She became famous for the wrong reasons back in 2014. At the time, she was an elderly woman living in a home in Madrid. She was evicted—which means she was forced to leave her home by the police—after her son could no longer pay the mortgage. The images of her being carried out of her house by officers became a national symbol of how hard life had become for many people in Spain.

At that time, Spain was dealing with a massive housing crisis. Many people had lost their jobs and could not pay their bank loans. After Maricarmen was forced out, people across the country were furious. Her story brought thousands of protesters into the streets. They demanded that the government do more to protect regular people from losing their homes.

Her story showed the human side of a very difficult economic time. For many Spaniards, she wasn't just an elderly woman; she represented the struggle for basic fairness.

News of her death was confirmed by a union that works on housing rights. People across the country are now remembering her as a brave woman who accidentally became the face of a movement that changed how Spain talks about housing.

Source: The Guardian