87-year-old neighbour Maricarmen was evicted on Wednesday from her home on Alcalde Sainz de Baranda, where she had lived for seven decades, after four attempts and a gathering of hundreds of people.
Maricarmen, an 87-year-old resident of Madrid, was evicted on Wednesday from her home on Alcalde Sainz de Baranda, where she had lived for 70 years. The eviction was carried out after four previous attempts and a gathering of hundreds of people outside her home, according to Onda Cero.
The woman, who has a recognised 50% disability, paid around 500 euros in rent. The property owner, Urbagestión, intended to raise the rent to 2,650 euros per month. An anonymous donor offered to cover part of the rent to stop the eviction, but the owner rejected the offer.
The day before the eviction, a gathering was held where actors Carlos Bardem and Juan Diego Botto spoke. Bardem addressed the neighbour with a slip of the tongue: "Paquita, you are not alone," he said, until someone from the audience reminded him of her real name: "It's Maricarmen."
Maricarmen, Paquita is not alone either, and Alejandro isn't, I just...
The actor continued his speech with a reflection on legality and justice: "When legality in a rent-seeking and speculative system does not usually align with what is just. In the face of that, only civil disobedience and popular organisation can prevail."
Maricarmen thanked the support of the Tenants' Union and the attendees: "Fight, don't stay at home, fight for your housing, as we have the right to live." She also pointed out that "people don't want penthouses, they want flats to live in."
The Tenants' Union criticised the President of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, for "selling our homes to the highest bidder to a mob of speculators instead of seeking housing solutions." They also accused the central government of "washing its hands" and using "our pain as a weapon against the regional government."
The case of Maricarmen has sparked protests in both Madrid and Barcelona. The woman, who has lived for seven decades in the same property, was evicted on Wednesday by the authorities after failed attempts to halt the execution.
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