CARMEN MARTINEZ AYUDO was evicted from her home in Madrid on Friday.
The 85-year-old was thrown out of her apartment, where she has lived for 50 years, after failing to repay her unemployed son’s debts.
She guaranteed a defaulted bank loan given to her son but could not afford to pay off his debt – which now stands at €70,000 – on her €630-a-month pension.
While Martinez Ayudo was being evicted, housing rights activists clashed with the dozens of riot police present. At least one protester was arrested.
La Liga football team Rayo Vallecano has promised to help Martinez Ayudo repay the debt.
Manager Paco Jemez said: “We will do everything we can to help this woman and lend her a hand so that she can live with dignity and not feel alone.”
Martinez told Spanish newspaper El Mundo that the club’s gesture was “beautiful”.
After the team made their intention to help public, Madrid mayor Ana Botella announced that she would try to find a solution for Martinez, who is currently staying with her grandson.
Last year alone Spanish banks seized 49,694 properties across the country, an 11.1% rise from 2012, according to statistics from the Bank of Spain.
Additional reporting: AFP
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