SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — I heard that Ricardo Rosselló, the island’s governor, was going to resign around noon on Wednesday. I made my way to La Fortaleza, the governor’s mansion, around 10 a.m. in anticipation. As the day wore into night anticipation turned to frustration. The governor had not shown his face, which enraged people even more. But the crowd refused to budge.

As the streets swelled with protesters, it was clear that Mr. Rossello was running out of options. Just before midnight he finally addressed the island through a video published on Facebook Live. A wave of joyous and raucous screams erupted with the news that he would step down on Aug. 2.

For days I had been watching the news from my apartment in Washington Heights, feeling distraught to be so far from home. These were extraordinary times and I longed to be there. Last Saturday, I reached for my phone and booked a flight home that afternoon, praying all the while that he wouldn’t resign before I arrived.

The demonstrations arose after private chat group messages leaked on Telegram were published by Puerto Rico’s Center for Investigative Journalism. In them, Mr. Rosselló and his inner circle, all men, derided the deaths caused by Hurricane Maria and used vulgar, homophobic, and misogynistic language to disparage political opponents.