Madrid Government Delegate and police unions clash over eviction conduct

A dispute has emerged between the Government Delegation of Madrid and police unions following the eviction of Maricarmen Abascal, an 87-year-old woman with a disability, from her rental home in the Retiro neighborhood.

Francisco Martín, the Government Delegate in Madrid, has requested an investigation into the conduct of the Police Intervention Units (UIP) after reviewing footage of the operation. Martín stated that the police deployment was directed by the judicial commission in charge of the eviction rather than being under his direct command, suggesting that if the Delegation had intervened, the eviction might not have occurred.

The police union Jupol has condemned these statements as “absolute hypocrisy.” The union expressed full support for the officers involved, arguing that Martín is the highest official responsible for public order and security in the region. Jupol accused the delegate of attempting to use the police as a “smoke screen” to distance himself from institutional responsibility after controversial images of the eviction surfaced.