An 87-year-old woman whose eviction sparked protests in Spain is returning home

People gather during a protest following the eviction last Wednesday of 87-year-old Maricarmen to demand stronger laws to protect renters at Puerta del Sol in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. Manu Fernandez/AP hide caption toggle caption Manu Fernandez/AP MADRID — The 87-year-old woman at the center of the most high-profile eviction case in Spain in recent years will return home, her lawyer said Tuesday. María del Carmen Abascal has been hospitalized since she was carried out on a stretcher from the apartment where she had lived for seven decades on Wednesday. Her case has drawn tens of thousands of people to the streets in recent days and led the government to present measures to address the country's housing crisis. It remains to be seen if they go far enough to appease protesters. Abascal, who has become widely known as simply "Maricarmen," accepted a deal with the company that owns her apartment in the upscale Retiro neighborhood to return home as soon as she is discharged, her lawyer, Beatriz Duro, told The Associated Press. "She is very happy," said Duro. The agreement limits her rent to 30% of her income, meaning she would not pay more than the 500 euros ($570) per m...