The governor of Puerto Rico Ricardo Rosselló announced his resignation late Wednesday night, set to take place effective August 2, following mass protests sparked by scandal and claims of corruption.
Breaking News: Puerto Rico's governor said he would resign on Aug. 2. Widespread protests calling for his exit were touched off by leaked messages. https://t.co/tCk6CKEtMe
— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 25, 2019
CBS News reports,
Rosselló announced his move after federal authorities carried out anti-corruption raids targeting his associates and private messages leaked to the media revealed him and his lieutenants disparaging a political opponent as a 'whore,' poking fun at an obese man and joking about feeding a cadaver from the island's backlogged morgue to a critic.
Even before the scandals, many Puerto Ricans had become frustrated by systemic problems on the island, which is still reeling from devastating storms and years of economic weakness.
On July 8, messages were leaked involving top government leaders of Puerto Rico, causing uproar and protest throughout the island.
According to NBC News, the messages were exchanged via the messaging app Telegram and included conversations between and among Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, Secretary of State Luis Rivera Marín, and other administration officials, lobbyists, and close associates of the governor.
One of the exchanges reportedly contained officials mocking bodies that had piled up after Hurricane Maria back in 2017.
The messages also raised concerns over corruption and conflicts of interest, as "politicians also shared confidential government information with people who were not public officials," NBC News reports.
All this happened in the same week multiple Puerto Rican government leaders and aids were arrested in a possible corruption scandal involving misuse of funds meant for hurricane relief.
With the governor's resignation, the next in line to become governor would be Secretary of Justice Wanda Vazquez, Rosselló shared in his announcement. Although, protestors do not want her either, according to The Hill, because of her relationship with the current administration.