Death of housing activist triggers protest march to Congress
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The death of Maricarmen Abascal at 90 has turned from a moment of national mourning into a political flashpoint. After some politicians vetoed a minute of silence in her honor, hundreds of demonstrators marched to Congress to pledge an end to evictions. A general housing strike has now been called, though it has already opened a rift between the smaller tenant unions and the country’s two largest labor syndicates.
The left-wing 'Broad Front' is attempting to organize for the upcoming snap election, but the coalition is proving difficult to assemble. Former Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau has offered to lead the group on the condition that all factions unite; currently, they are mostly arguing over a shortage of safe seats and whether to hold primaries. To improve the mood before the vote, Labor Minister Yolanda Díaz plans to raise the minimum wage once more.
The anti-drug prosecutor for Andalusia has warned that the region is becoming a 'militarized' hub for narco-trafficking, with clans increasingly armed with grenades and Kalashnikovs. Authorities are now attempting to block the Guadalquivir river to prevent high-speed drug boats from reaching Seville.