Political row over the death of Maricarmen Abascal: the PP vetoes minutes of silence

BarcelonaA social outburst, two emergency decrees, a snap election in Spain, and a general strike. The magnitude of the consequences of the Maricarmen case explains the shock over the death this Wednesday of the 87-year-old woman, who had become, following her eviction in Madrid, a symbol of the fight for the right to housing. Social movements have been mourning the passing of Maricarmen Abascal since last night and, as was to be expected, the death has entered fully into the pre-campaign for the November 29 elections. Political messages of condolence have turned into cross-attacks between the parties, and the left has lashed out at the PP, which has vetoed minutes of silence in memory of the woman in the Senate, the Assembly, and the City Council of Madrid.

The Popular Party members have defended their refusal to participate in the tributes to Maricarmen Abascal proposed by the left, arguing that it is an attempt at "political instrumentalization" of the death. "We will not allow the attempt at emotional manipulation of the Spanish people. All of this has happened during their eight years of government with their policies and their decisions. It won't work," Alberto Núñez Feijóo stressed this Thursday in a speech before the national executive committee of the PP, gathered to prepare the party for the November 29 elections. Various PP sources have denounced that the PSOE intends to use the tragedy electorally and have predicted a "very tough and very ugly" campaign, which Sánchez will try to sully.

The first reactions arrived last night, when in a post on X, President Sánchez sent "a hug to all of us who today feel this loss as our own." A message that, without making it explicit, was directed at the entire mobilized population, whose vote the PSOE seeks to drag to the polls. The news of the death of Maricarmen Abascal, who had been hospitalized since she was evicted, caused great consternation at the Puerta del Sol. Activists camped out for the right to housing improvised tributes with candles and signs. A flood of protesters also marched toward the doors of Congress shouting "They are not deaths, they are murders" and "Where is the progressive government?". Others have taken the slogans to what was the woman's home.

The mood on the streets of Madrid was summarized by Maricarmen Abascal's lawyer, Beatriz Duro, in statements to SER: "If the eviction had been suspended, we would not be in this situation today." Perhaps that is why the PP, which has fought against housing decrees and censured the encampment at Puerta del Sol, is trying to isolate the issue from political debate. Feijóo has expressed his "respect" on X, but added: "No campaign, no parties, no self-interested use. Enough stones at the wall." It was in this vein that the Madrid PP, commanded by Isabel Díaz Ayuso, vetoed the minute of silence that left-wing parties had proposed for this Thursday at the Madrid Assembly. "We don't see it," they responded from the PP. Subsequently, the Popular Party members did the same in the Senate, where they have a majority, and at the Madrid City Council.

From the far right, and with the same goal of not appearing as responsible for the veto on anti-eviction measures, Vox has opted for the opposite strategy: attacking Pedro Sánchez directly and holding him responsible for the woman's death: "They have killed Maricarmen. Without any scruples, they have used the suffering of an elderly person to set up a campaign that hides the government's responsibility in the housing disaster," the ultras also wrote on X, from where Minister Pablo Bustinduy reproached their opportunism: "These mercenaries voted against banning evictions five days ago.

On the same social network, and without explicitly stating who his message was directed at, ERC spokesperson Gabriel Rufián says: "What sons of bitches". "It is not a death, it is a murder. What damned rage", added Podemos MEP Irene Montero, and the leader of the purple party, Ione Belarra, pointed out those responsible: "She was murdered by the vultures who wanted to keep her house, the justice system and the administrations that allowed it".

The former mayor of Barcelona and possible candidate for the alternative left to the PSOE, Ada Colau, reacted with "pain and rage" in statements to TVE, from where she considered that Maricarmen has marked "a before and after" and that "we owe her a lot". "We must live up to the example [...] continue the fight, support the demonstrations and the general strike proposal", she added. "Your fight awakened consciences throughout Spain and lit a fuse that will no longer go out. Your dignity and courage mark the path", agreed the minister and leader of Més Madrid, Mónica García, via X.

In Catalonia, the President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, has also expressed his shock. "No one can remain indifferent. Politics cannot allow any inhumanity. We will continue fighting to prevent it from happening again," wrote the head of the Government in a post.