Hundreds Camp in Madrid to Halt Eviction of 87-Year-Old Maricarmen over 2,650-Euro Rent Demand
Around 400 demonstrators gathered outside a Retiro apartment building on Tuesday night to stop investment firm Urbagestión from evicting 87-year-old Maricarmen from the home she has occupied since 1956.
Overnight mobilization in Retiro
About 400 people gathered on Tuesday night outside 46 Calle Alcalde Sainz de Baranda in Madrid to prevent the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen. The demonstration, organized by the Sindicato de Inquilinas de Madrid, turned into an overnight camp with sleeping bags and mats spread across the pavement. Judicial officers are scheduled to execute the eviction order on Wednesday morning between 7:30 and 8:00. This action represents the fourth eviction attempt by real estate investment firm Urbagestión Desarrollo e Inversiones, following three previous suspensions in October and June. Cultural figures and public personalities attended the gathering, including actors Juan Diego Botto and Carlos Bardem, singer Ana Belén, comedian Ignatius Farray, TV presenter Inés Hernand, and Sumar deputy Enrique Santiago. Ana Belén recited Rafael Alberti's poem titled 'Desahucio' and adapted the lyrics of her song 'La Puerta de Alcalá' to show solidarity. Addressing the crowd, Maricarmen, who has a 50% recognized disability, thanked supporters for their mobilization.
Fight, do not stay at home, fight for your housing, because we have the right to live.
- Maricarmen's father signs the original rental lease for the Retiro apartment
- Maricarmen inherits the rent-controlled contract following the death of her mother
- Sindicato de Inquilinas joins legal defense to assist Maricarmen against eviction pressures
- Protesters camp overnight outside the building ahead of the fourth eviction attempt
The legal dispute and rental terms
Maricarmen has resided in the apartment for 71 years, having moved into the building in 1956 when her father first signed the lease. Following her father's death, the contract was subrogated to her mother, and Maricarmen assumed the tenancy in 2005 under the traditional indefinite rent-controlled framework known as renta antigua. Urbagestión acquired the property and initiated eviction proceedings, arguing that current urban leasing regulations prohibit two successive contract subrogations. Housing activists note that original Franco-era legislation prevented women from signing tenancy agreements directly in 1956, making two generational transfers necessary. The investment firm is demanding a monthly rent of 2,650 euros, an amount far exceeding Maricarmen's monthly pension of 1,400 euros. Under her previous terms, Maricarmen was paying 500 euros per month.
- Current rent paid by Maricarmen
- 500 EUR/month
- Maricarmen's monthly pension
- 1400 EUR/month
- Offered donor subsidy
- 2150 EUR/month
- Rent demanded by Urbagestión
- 2650 EUR/month
Third-party offer and institutional reactions
During Tuesday's demonstration, the Sindicato de Inquilinas announced that a prominent author had offered to subsidize the rent for the remainder of Maricarmen's life while remaining anonymous. Under the proposal submitted to Urbagestión's legal team, Maricarmen would continue paying 500 euros monthly while the anonymous donor would pay the remaining 2,150 euros every month and cover existing debts. The investment company has not accepted or responded to the offer. Speaking at the protest, Juan Diego Botto criticized the inaction across municipal, regional, and national levels of government, citing constitutional protections regarding the right to housing.
Those three institutions have failed, in part because of their conception of housing as a consumer good for speculation, rather than an essential necessity.
The Sindicato de Inquilinas criticized Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso and central government officials for failing to provide social housing solutions, while United Nations representatives have previously urged Spanish authorities to suspend the eviction. Judicial authorities have designated Wednesday's scheduled eviction as non-appealable.
