Anger grows across Spain after elderly woman evicted from her home of 70 years, tell me about this news in (https://www.nbcnews.com/world/spain/anger-grows-spain-elderly-woman-evicted-home-70-years-rcna599808)

The news centers around the forced eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her Madrid apartment, where she had lived for over 70 years. Her father originally signed a rent-capped lease contract in 1956, which eventually passed down to her.

The current owner, an investment firm named Urbagestión, sought to drastically raise her rent from €500 to over €2,650 (later lowered to €1,650), an amount she could not afford on her €1,350 monthly pension. Despite local support, neighbors trying to block the eviction, and last-minute offers from private individuals and the government to cover the costs or purchase the apartment, the firm pushed forward with the eviction.

Maricarmen was ultimately removed from her home on a stretcher after the police carried out the eviction on their fourth attempt, leaving her hospitalized for stress and exhaustion. The incident has triggered widespread outrage and large protests across Spain, becoming a focal point for public frustration over the country’s worsening housing crisis, soaring rental prices, and the role of corporate real estate investment firms. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and other political leaders condemned the event as a social tragedy, while political parties blamed each other for failing to protect vulnerable tenants.