2024-07-13 00:34:47
In the Madrid neighborhood called Lavapiés, 94-year-old Cuban woman Marina López was evicted from her home after having lived there for more than thirty years.
Despite the community’s efforts to prevent this, the elderly woman was finally removed from the building, as recorded on video by local media.
Marina lived in Madrid, alone on a modest pension and faced serious mobility problems. In addition, her apartment was in a noticeable state of disrepair, with a cracked ceiling and peeling paint, showing that it had been lacking maintenance for years.
The night before the eviction, Marina had no idea that this would happen to her, as she was resting in her bed, completely oblivious to the legal dispute that threatened to leave her homeless.
Her apartment in Lavapiés showed no signs of moving, there were no boxes or belongings in bags, and the paintings were still hanging on the walls.
Her family decided to keep her out of the eviction so as not to worsen her health, which was weakened by chronic bronchitis that has taken her to the hospital twice this year.
The next morning, Marina left the building in a wheelchair pushed by a Samur social worker, after resisting with all her might to leave her home of almost forty years. The real estate agency GUIGA SL, owner of the block, decided to take the case to court due to a rent debt of close to 12,000 euros.
Marina, who only receives a non-contributory pension of 517 euros, could not pay the 650 euros monthly rent.
In the first quarter of this year, 725 homes were evicted in Madrid for non-payment, according to the CGPJ.
Neighbors and activists gathered in front of her home to demand a dignified solution for Marina, and this temporarily halted the eviction, thanks to a vulnerability report from the municipal Social Services.
Finally, the community and social services found a long-term solution to provide the elderly Cuban woman with adequate accommodation in Madrid.
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Cubans Around the World Editorial Team