The case of Maricarmen Abascal, the 87-year-old Madrid woman whose eviction in September triggered widespread housing protests across Spain, has taken a new turn. A conservative Spanish newspaper has published documents suggesting she held a corporate role in a property investment company in the mid-1990s, but the claims remain unverified and her supporters have not commented.
OkDiario, a right-leaning outlet founded in 2015 by Eduardo Inda, reported that according to the Spanish Companies Registry, María del Carmen Abacal Martín was appointed a director of Jinur S.A. on 1 July 1994. She is said to have served as deputy secretary until her removal was accepted by the board a year later. The identification rests on her full name and her year of birth, 1938, which matches the age of 87 at the time of her eviction.
Jinur’s stated corporate purpose was investing in property for subsequent rental. The company shared an address on Madrid’s Pradillo street with Fieba S.A., from which Maricarmen and three other directors had reportedly come. According to OkDiario, she even served as sole director at Fieba for several years, although the article cites a 1982 notice in the Official State Gazette (BOE) that refers to a company engaged in “property investment” and then treats it as a real-estate agency.
Notably, the report does not explain what Maricarmen actually did as deputy secretary, nor does it claim she held shares or owned property. Her day-to-day activities remain undocumented. The newspaper uses these details to challenge an account attributed to a 2024 interview in El País, in which she is said to have described working as secretary to the board of a pharmaceutical company. OkDiario says none of the companies it reviewed had that corporate purpose, but it does not explore whether she may have worked for other firms at other times.
Background of the outlet
OkDiario is a conservative publication known for its combative style. Its founder, Eduardo Inda, previously directed El Mundo and has faced legal consequences for his reporting. In 2023, a court ordered him to pay €18,000 in damages to Pablo Iglesias, the former leader of Podemos, for publishing false claims and disseminating a fake bank document as evidence. A 2017 study by the University of Valencia rated OkDiario as the worst-rated media outlet in Spain, despite it being one of the most widely read.
The new claims do not alter the core facts of the eviction. In 1956, Maricarmen’s parents signed a rent-controlled lease for the flat on Sainz de Baranda street, which passed to her in 2005 after her mother’s death. The eviction was carried out on 23 September, at the fourth attempt, following a legal battle with Urbagestión, the company managing the property. The case reached the Supreme Court, which ruled in the company’s favour in 2024.
The eviction sparked protests across Spain, with thousands taking to the streets in Madrid and other cities. The case has become a symbol of the country’s housing crisis, which is a central issue in the upcoming general election. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has put housing at the forefront of his campaign, promising measures to increase affordable housing and strengthen tenant protections.
While the OkDiario report raises questions about Maricarmen’s professional past, it does not undermine the legitimacy of her eviction case or the broader housing movement. Her sudden death two weeks after the eviction has only intensified public sympathy and scrutiny of Spain’s housing policies.
As the story develops, it is important to treat the new claims with caution. The lack of response from Maricarmen’s circle and the absence of concrete details about her corporate duties mean the full picture remains unclear. What is certain is that her eviction has become a flashpoint in the national debate over housing, a debate that is likely to shape the political landscape in the coming months.
