Spain
Political parties in Madrid clash over the minute's silence for Maricarmen
The left has accused the opposition of sabotaging two tributes to the elderly woman who died on Wednesday night
The tragic death of Maricarmen in hospital on Wednesday has sparked yet another exchange of recriminations in the political arena. This time at regional ... and local government level.
As soon as the sad news broke, left-wing groups, the PSOE and Más Madrid tabled separate motions to hold a minute's silence on Thursday in tribute to the elderly Madrid resident who died at the age of 87.
However, as the PP rejected the proposals, the initiatives did not go ahead and the left-wing parties have had to organise alternative tributes.
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The PP's argument, both in the regional assembly and in the city council, has been the same: not to contribute to the political exploitation of Maricarmen's death. "You are so despicable, you hold Maricarmen's memory in such contempt, that you held a minute's silence which lasted 40 seconds. You have to be despicable to use her in the sectarian way that you do," Mayor of Madrid José Luis Martínez Almeida said during his speech in the plenary session.
The mayor also said that "respecting Maricarmen's memory and deeply regretting her death is not incompatible with saying that it was your regulations, those promoted by the PSOE while in government, that evicted the poor woman".
Madrid PSOE councillor Reyes Maroto used her speech to hold an impromptu minute's silence in tribute to the Madrid resident who was evicted two weeks ago, after living in her home for 70 years. This initiative was also supported by Más Madrid, whose councillors stood up holding placards condemning Maricarmen's eviction. Meanwhile, PP and Vox councillors remained seated.
A similar dispute arose in the Madrid regional assembly, where president of the regional government Isabel Díaz Ayuso's party's refusal to hold a minute's silence led the two left-wing parties to hold a tribute to Maricarmen outside the building, 15 minutes before the plenary session began.
"Without the greed of vulture funds, Maricarmen would have spent the last years of her life in peace and not with the anxiety of eviction hanging over her," PSOE's Mar Espinar said. She stated that "the housing crisis has faces and yesterday we lost one of them". Ayuso responded to these remarks by branding her a "vulture politician".
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