Puerto Ricans Celebrate, Shoot Fireworks as Island’s Top Democrat Announces Resignation
In the aftermath of a major scandal, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello announced his resignation. Residents of the island were ecstatic, taking to the streets to shoot fireworks and cheer his departure.
Rossello’s official resignation date is Aug. 2, but Puerto Ricans aren’t waiting to show their happiness at the announcement.
Videos of the celebrations were soon posted on Twitter and showed the sheer scale of opposition to the departing governor.
BREAKING: It is official. @ricardorossello will resign effective August 2. Protesters light fireworks, erupt in euphoric cheer. Here is the moment they find out their cries, fraught as they are, have been heard. That Ricky has resigned. #rickyrenuncia #PuertoRico pic.twitter.com/y3FYBidOGa
— Nick Brown (@NickPBrown) July 25, 2019
Rossello, a registered Democrat, was at the center of a scandal after leaks of less-than-respectful conversations between the governor and his advisers leaked.
Rossello ran for the governor’s spot as a candidate for the New Progressive Party, a Puerto Rican party supporting statehood for the island.
Some of the messages disparaged his political rivals in ugly language, while others advocated for outright violence against his critics.
“I am salivating to shoot her,” Rossello said of San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz, a vocal critic of the governor.
The leaked messages also attacked the sexuality of Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin, according to CNN.
Shortly after the messages hit the public realm, the island erupted in anger.
Photos of the protests show the scale of the crowd, with hundreds of thousands of people rising to express their disapproval of Rossello.
UPDATE: Protests demanding the resignation of Puerto Rico’s governor have now grown to hundreds of thousands.
They want Ricardo Rosselló out over alleged corruption + offensive leaked text messages mocking Hurricane Maria victims. pic.twitter.com/edYmMRXv2A
— AJ+ (@ajplus) July 22, 2019
The protests in Puerto Rico, from above (? by @airlenspr) #rickyrenuncia #rickyrenunciaya pic.twitter.com/efqY02LzwO
— VICE News (@vicenews) July 22, 2019
Saturday night outside the governor’s mansion on day 8 of protests calling for his resignation #PuertoRico pic.twitter.com/yiNEXqto31
— Jeffrey Acevedo (@jeffreyacevedo) July 21, 2019
For now, it looks like the people of Puerto Rico have made it clear they will not put up with this sort of behavior from their leader.
Despite Rossello’s departure, his successor Wanda Vázquez isn’t exactly out of the woods yet. The protesting crowds regularly boo and hiss when her name is mentioned.
Only time will tell if the crowds begin demanding Vázquez resign as well.
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