Photo : Alex Wong/Joe Raedle ( Getty Images )

In Puerto Rico, protests have taken over the country, calling for the resignation of their governor, Ricardo Rosselló—who is now expected to resign today. After a leak of messages between the governor and his inner circle, Rosselló is being held accountable for a series of personal attacks on government officials, including referring to a New York City councilwoman as a “whore” and a joke about victims of Hurricane Maria.




“I recognize that apologizing is not sufficient,” Rosselló said in a Facebook video on his account regarding the leak. “And only my work will help restore the trust of these sectors and embark on a real reconciliation.”

Photo : Joe Raedle ( Getty Images )


What happened exactly?

On July 13, several exchanges between Governor Rosselló and various cabinet members and aides were published online by Puerto Rico’s Center for Investigative Journalism; among a multitude of comments, the 889-page document includes attacks on San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz (he said an aide would be doing him a “favor” by shooting her), making a comment that mocks singer Ricky Martin’s sexuality, referring to councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito as a “whore”—and joking about dead bodies in the wake of Hurricane Maria. All exchanges took place between December 2018 and January 2019.

Just days before the exchange was leaked, two former high-ranking officials in connection with Rosselló were also arrested for corruption (and funneling federal money toward firms they were personally connected to), further driving criticism aimed at the Puerto Rican government. In the wake of Hurricane Maria, which claimed nearly 3,000 lives just a year and a half ago, Puerto Rico has faced societal upheaval, seemingly setting the stage for civil unrest.

Photo : Joe Raedle ( Getty Images )


How have people reacted?

For several days, hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans have protested throughout the country; on Monday, over half a million protestors flooded the streets of San Juan, calling for Rosselló’s resignation.


“This is so much more than the chat,” Ivonne Márquez, one protestor, told NBC News. “There has been rampant corruption and we need a chance and we need the governor to resign.”

Politicians including New York rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and presidential candidate Julián Castro have both expressed support for Rosselló’s resignation. “The people of Puerto Rico have spoken loudly and clearly for the world to hear,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on Twitter. “We must stand with la isla.”


After failing to provide adequate support in the wake of Hurricane Maria, President Trump, too, has chimed in on the situation, calling Rosselló a “terrible governor” and “grossly incompetent” (while also criticizing San Juan’s mayor and alleging the U.S. had provided $92 billion in support after the Hurricane to Puerto Rico; as NBC News reports, the country has received less than 14 billion through May).

Photo : Alex Wong ( Getty Images )


What has been the governor’s response?

In the wake of the message leak, two cabinet members have resigned—and Governor Rosselló has provided a blanket apology for his incendiary comments. “I’ve made mistakes and I apologize,” he said in a video on his Facebook. “To every Puerto Rican man and woman, I have heard you and I hear you today.”


The governor had originally made a statement that he would not resign as governor (claiming, instead, that he would not re-seek re-election in 2020. He has also resigned as his party’s president)—as of today, however, Rosselló is now expected to resign amid surrounding protests.

If the governor chooses not to resign, the New York Times reports that lawmakers in Puerto Rico have already begun impeachment proceedings, meaning his time as governor may likely come to an end either way.