In recent days, dozens of media outlets in our country have reported on the squatting of an apartment in Lavapiés (Madrid) by a man named Corcele and his wife.
The man did not have any problem when receiving the press at his home and answering the journalists’ questions directly. On different occasions, Corcele explained that he knows the legislation well and that, as long as there is no complaint from the owner, they could not throw them out on the street.
The man also stated that they found the house full of dust and that it was more than evident that no one had lived there for a long time. Furthermore, he indicated before the television cameras that his intention was to return the house the moment the woman returned to Madrid. “I entered the house because I thought the owner had abandoned it more than a year ago,” he said.
The neighbors, visibly nervous and distressed about the situation, said that the owner of the apartment, Pepi, an 86-year-old woman, became a widow and traveled to Canada, the country where her children live.
”Pepi has never left the house. “She left because her husband died and he found out that she became ill and they had to operate on her,” explained one of the neighbors to different reporters and programs such as Espejo Público.
The alleged squatter received several reporters at the home in question. When the journalist from the Madrid Directo program asked him if he was aware that they were not carrying out a squat, but rather a break-in, the man decided to throw him out of the house and ‘accompanied’ him to the landing: ”Now you are complicating it. Come on, come out, you’re already… I’m not talking to you anymore because you’re turning it around. Come out, come out, come out.”
After this altercation, the regional channel’s program published that the police appeared on the scene to speak with the couple. An ‘eviction’ company also arrived at the scene, which did not hesitate to speak to the media.
After an hour with the authorities in the house, the couple left the house with their belongings while some neighbors present at the scene scolded them. With a smile, Corcele avoided answering questions about whether she was leaving voluntarily.
At one point, the man turned around and tried to respond to all those who were aggressively insulting him, but the law enforcement officers stopped his intentions and forced him to get into a car. ”I’m coming back,” the man shouted before disappearing into the vehicle alongside the police.
