Puerto Rico’s governor to resign
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló announced late Wednesday that he will resign on Aug. 2 after nearly two weeks of angry protests and political upheaval over the leaking of crude chat messages between him and his top advisers. Scores of protesters outside the governor’s mansion in Old San Juan erupted in cheers and chants after his announcement on Facebook just before midnight.
Rossello said of the protests: “The demands were overwhelming and I received them with the greatest humility.” The obscene online messages about the governor and 11 other men angered Puerto Ricans already frustrated by corruption, mismanagement, the economic crisis and the recovery from Hurricane Maria nearly two years ago.
In response, tens of thousands took to the streets to demand Rosselló’s resignation in the largest demonstration in Puerto Rico since the end of US Navy training on the island of Vieques more than 15 years ago. Rosselló, a Democrat elected in 2016, is the first governor to resign in the modern history of Puerto Rico, a US territory with more than 3 million US citizens.
Under Puerto Rico’s constitution, the secretary of state normally serves as governor, but with Secretary of State Luis Rivera Marín one of more than a dozen officials to resign amid the uproar over the leak, the island’s leadership would fall to Attorney General Wanda. Vazquez. She will be the second female governor of Puerto Rico.
In the 889-page conversation, leaked on July 13, chat participants mocked their constituents, including Maria survivors, and made offensive comments about women, calling Rossello a “whore.” The men also discussed politics and government contracts, and authorities this week obtained search warrants for their cellphones in an investigation into whether they illegally released classified government information. Lawmakers have also begun to explore the possibility of impeachment.
Rossello posted a video on Facebook over the weekend announcing he would not seek re-election in 2020 and would not continue as head of the pro-statehood party, but his refusal to step down further angered Puerto Ricans and led to a colossal demonstration. Monday on one of the capital’s main roads.
Pressure on Rossello to leave has included calls from Puerto Rican music stars Ricky Martin, Bad Bunny and Residente, as well as several US politicians, including congressmen from both parties and several Democratic presidential candidates.
The upheaval comes as the island tries to restructure some of its $70 billion in debt and deal with a 13-year recession that has driven nearly half a million people to the U.S. mainland over the past decade. Many Puerto Ricans resent the resulting pension cuts, school closings and other austerity.
The economic crisis is partly the result of previous governments, including Rosselló’s father, Pedro, who overspent, overstated revenues and borrowed millions while the island sank deeper into debt. In 2017, Puerto Rico filed for bankruptcy. Congress has approved a financial package, and a federal board oversees the island’s finances.
