He’s OUT! Puerto Rico’s Gov.,Ricardo Rosselló, finally resigns after massive public outcry and widespread protests over his leaked homophobic messages, corruption
For 12 days the streets of Puerto Rico were scenes of angry, bitter protests Wednesday night they transformed into celebrations of joy upon hearing their dissent led Rosselló to resign
Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló resigns after massive public outcry and widespread protests over his leaked homophobic messages and corruption
Embattled Rosselló resigned Wednesday evening in a recorded video published on Facebook – the first governor of the U.S. territory to resign
His resignation comes after 12 days of public protests demanding he step down after texts between the Governor and his allies were leaked – Monday’s protest marked one of the largest in the island’s history
The leaked messages revealed homophobic and misogynistic texts, corruption in his party, and the mocking of Hurricane Maria victims
The news comes after attorneys commissioned by Puerto Rico’s House of Representatives found five offenses that constituted grounds for impeachment
House president Carlos Mendez Nunez announced a meeting set for Thursday afternoon to begin that impeachment process
His resignation will take effect August 2 at 5pm – Secretary of Justice Wanda Vazquez will become the next governor
Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló [photo], announces his resignation: Puerto Rico’s embattled Governor Ricardo Rosselló resigned Wednesday evening in a video published on Facebook following a 12-day backlash of outraged protests on the island
The 40-year-old Republican’s name was shrouded in scandal after 900 pages of texts between the Governor and his top allies were leaked and revealed political corruption, homophobic and misogynistic messages, and the mocking of Hurricane Maria victims.
‘Today I feel that to continue in this position represents a difficulty for the success of the country. After listening to the demands, speaking to my family, thinking about my children and prayer, I have made the following decision. With sadness, I am announcing that I will be resigning from the position of governor,’ he said in his speech.
‘What I wish most is peace and progress for my people,’ he added in his resignation statement.
Joy rippled through the streets of San Juan as protests turned to celebrations after Rosselló announced his resignation Wednesday evening, caving into pressure from politicians and the public to step down
Joy in the streets: Following his leave announcement, the streets of Puerto Rico burst into jubilant cheers and chants of ‘Puerto Rico! Puerto Rico!’ after days of vociferous protests and clashes with police
Secretary of Justice Wanda Vazquez, [photo], will become the next governor of Puerto Rico. – not particularly loved herself, the incoming governor is seen as a political ally of Ricardo Rosselló, , the protesters are now chanting that she has to go
His resignation takes effect August 2 at 5:00 pm and Secretary of Justice Wanda Vazquez will become the next governor of Puerto Rico. Vazquez who belongs to the same political party is particularly loved herself.
Seen as a political ally of Rosselló, the jubilant protesters have shifted their attention, demanding that Vasquez should go, even before she takes office.
Cheering citizens of the Island switched moods from protests to tears and cheers on the streets of San Juan following Rosselló’s resignation announcement Wednesday evening
Puerto Ricans celebrate after governor announces his resignation. The streets of San Juan were filled with electric energy as the crowds celebrated their 12 days of success protest in the midst of political turmoil
Monday’s gathering made history as one of the largest in the island’s history where more than half a million people inundated San Juan’s streets and the protest ended with police firing tear gas at demonstrators.
Following his leave announcement Wednesday evening the streets of Puerto Rico, once filled with outraged shouts of protest, burst into jubilant cheers of joy.
‘Puerto Rico! Puerto Rico!’ the people chanted, in sharp contrast from the days prior of vociferous demonstrations and clashes with police.
The crowd was heard chanting, ‘Ricky, te botamos!’ meaning ‘Ricky, we threw you out!’
‘After the birth of my son, this is the happiest day of my life,’ said René Pérez Joglar, also known as the rapper Residente, said Wednesday following the resignation.
The people of Puerto Rico had demonstrated in the streets for 12 consecutive days calling for Rosselló to step down after messages between the governor and his top allies were leaked and revealed misogynistic and homophobic comments and corruption
Hundreds of thousands of people protested in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Monday demanding the Island’s governor resign
The elated, cheering crowd was heard chanting. ‘Ricky, te botamos!’ meaning ‘Ricky, we threw you out!’ Wednesday evening after the resignation announcement
Faces of celebrations on the streets of Old San Juan after the Governor Rosselló caved to public pressure and announced his resignation, which will take effect Aug 2
Rosselló resigned in a video published on Facebook Wednesday evening follow 12 days of public protests, including a demonstration on Monday that was the largest in the island’s history. The pre-recorded resignation was also aired on TV
Puerto Ricans listen on a smart phone to the pre-recorded message by Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló announcing that he is resigning effective Aug 2
Tens of thousands of people celebrated in San Juan, Puerto Rico Wednesday evening. His resignation comes after 12 days of public protests demanding he step down after texts between the Governor and his allies were leaked
Just three days prior Rosselló shared a Facebook video announcement saying he would not step down as governor and instead would not seek re-election next year and would step down as head of the New Progressive Party, but that did not pacify the public
Musician Ricky Martin joined thousands to march against Governor Rossello on
Rosselló, who was elected in 2016, gave in to the mounting pressure from the public and politicians alike to step down from his first-term governor seat despite issuing multiple statements saying he would not, determined to remain in office through January 2021.
Just three days earlier Rosselló shared a Facebook video announcement saying he would not step down as governor and instead would not seek re-election next year and would step down as head of the New Progressive Party, but that did not pacify the public.
Over the past two weeks he saw a sudden exodus of members of his cabinet and staff in light of the scandal, including the secretary of state, the head of the Government Development Bank of Puerto Rico, the director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration, his chief of staff and his press secretary, according to the Miami Herald.
Rosselló is the U.S. commonwealth’s first governor to resign.
The resignation comes after Puerto Rican lawmakers were seeking to impeach him, starting the process as soon as Thursday.
Following the leak, Puerto Rico’s House of Representatives commissioned three attorneys to investigate whether any crimes were committed and they unanimously found five offenses that constituted the grounds for impeachment, as per NBC.
Protesters demonstrated for days near the governor’s mansion chanting ‘Ricky, Renuncia’ meaning ‘Ricky, Resign’. The news comes after attorneys commissioned by PR’s House of Representatives found five offenses that constituted grounds for impeachment
Musician Ricky Martin, [holding a rainbow banner], flashes a clenched fist as he joins in with thousands of Puerto Ricans irate with Gov. Ricardo Rosselló in protest on Monday. Two days later, the governor caved
The attorneys found that Rosselló had committed four serious offenses and one misdemeanor – including illicitly using public resources and services for partisan purposes and allowing government officials and contractors to misuse public funds and time for non-government work.
Puerto Rico’s House of Representatives president Carlos Mendez Nunez announced a meeting set for Thursday afternoon to begin that impeachment process.
Reports of his planned resignation first broke on Tuesday after local news outlets reported Puerto Rico’s Justice Department issued search warrants to confiscate the cell phones of several people involved in the leaked private chats.
Forced out: Governor Ricardo Rosselló’s resignation comes as Puerto Rico’s House of Representatives started a process to impeach him
The 900 pages of text messages on the encrypted messaging app Telegram was obtained by the Puerto Rico Center for Investigative Journalism and posted on July 13.
In those chats Rosselló and 11 close allies used homophobic slurs when discussing Puerto Rican music star Ricky Martin, insulted San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz saying she was ‘off her meds’ and Rosselló said he was ‘salivating’ to shoot her, referred to former New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito as a ‘whore’ and joked about the corpses piling up in the wake of Hurricane Maria in 2017.
The chats also shed light on Rosselló’s efforts to bring down his political opponents.
The leak also opened local and federal probes which resulted in the arrests of several former officials and government contractors on charges spanning alleged fraud involving federal funding.
Following the scandal, a slew of politicians have urged Rosselló to step down, including President Donald Trump.
Protesters in Puerto Rico say that Rosselló resignation is a first for the island – a historic challenge to the political structure dominated by two parties: the New Progressive Party and the Popular Democratic Party.
‘Rosselló is a symptom of a much deeper problem,’ Cynthia García Coll, a psychologist who teaches at the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras, said to CNN.
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