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Puerto Rico is poised for one of its biggest-ever protests to drive Gov. Ricardo Rossello from office. Here's how it reached this point.
Puerto Rico is poised for one of its biggest-ever protests to drive Gov. Ricardo Rossello from office. Here's how it reached this point.
James Pasley,James PasleyJul 22, 2019, 22:43 IST
Protesters demonstrate against Ricardo Rossello.Joe Raedle / Getty
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On Monday, Puerto Rico could have its biggest protest ever. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to take over one of the country's largest highways to force Gov. Ricardo Rossello to resign.
Rossello has come under fire due to corruption charges leveled against his administration, as well as the leaking of 889 pages of online conversations between him and nine of his aides.
The messages are filled with misogynistic and homophobic obscenities, as well as a joke about hurricane victims. People are calling the scandal "Chatgate" or "Rickyleaks".
On July 21, Rosello announced via Facebook video he would not seek re-election, but he would not resign as leader. Instead of quelling the demonstrators, it seemed to have fired protesters up further.
Puerto Ricans are storming the streets as they attempt to drive 40-year-old Gov. Ricardo Rossello from office.
On Monday, Puerto Rico could have its biggest protest ever. Hundreds of thousands are expected to take over one of the country's largest highways to force Rossello to resign.
Rossello has come under fire due to corruption charges leveled against his administration, as well as the leaking of 889 pages of private messages between him and nine of his aides. The scandal - which has been dubbed "Chatgate" or "Rickyleaks" - includes obscenities directed at two female Puerto Rican politicians and at Puerto Rican pop star Ricky Martin. There was also a joke about dead bodies piling up after Hurricane Maria.
On July 21, Rosello announced via Facebook video he would not seek re-election, but he would not resign as leader. Instead of quelling the demonstrators, it seemed to have fired them up further.
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Here's how the protests came about and what to expect out of Puerto Rico on Monday.
Things began to deteriorate for Gov. Ricardo Rosello on July 10, when six people were arrested by the FBI on charges of conspiracy. They're accused of directing $15.5 million worth of contracts to politically related consultants. Two of these people were former agency directors in the Puerto Rican government. Rosello ended his vacation in France early to return to Puerto Rico to help with damage control.
On July 13, Puerto Rico's Center for Investigative Journalism published messages between Rosello and 11 of his aides. The homophobic, misogynistic, and profanity-laced messages discuss and insult former New York City council speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz, and singer Ricky Martin, among others.
Along with the governor's vulgar chat messages, the island has been dealing with a 13-year recession, the suspected corruption of the current administration, and a nationwide struggle to recover, after a series of deadly hurricanes in 2017, which are estimated to have caused more than $100 billion worth of damage.
On July 17, an estimated 500,000 demonstrators took to the streets in San Juan to demand the governor's resignation. The entire island's population is about 3 million people.
It is the largest protest movement on the island since demonstrations occurred 15 years ago to successfully end US Navy military training on the island of Vieques.
The diversity of the protesters, including age, political ideologies, and class, is notable. According to The New York Times, protesters include retired people, students, hospitality staff, truck drivers, and electricians.
The protesters have been typically peaceful. Along with filling the streets with songs, there have been yoga protests and demonstrations on jet skis and horses.
But there has been a heavy police presence, and law enforcement have sometimes been aggressive in combating the protests, particularly on the nights of July 15 and 17.
On July 17, in New York's Union Square, protests took place in solidarity with Puerto Ricans. Protests have also happened in China, Holland, and Chile. Similar demonstrations are expected in major cities across the US mainland on Monday.
Symbols have been attacked in the protests, including the US flag. Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the US, and some are worried that the instability could cause the US to play more of a role in the governing of the island.
On the fifth day of demonstrations, a protester climbed a pole to remove the US flag.
Hurricane Maria is also remembered. The protester seen here has 4,645 written with special effects makeup on her forehead — one estimate for the number of people who were killed by the storm. This number has been controversial, because the island government originally identified only 64 victims. In August 2018, the government conceded that Hurricane Maria killed more than 2,975 people on the island, which many think was still an underestimate.
On July 21, Rosello admitted he was wrong and apologized for the messages. On Facebook Live, he said he was aware of the population's dissatisfaction and discomfort, and while he would not run for re-election, he wasn't standing down. "Only my work will help restore the trust of these sectors," he said in the video.
But that wasn't good enough for many Puerto Ricans. On July 22, the largest protest is expected to happen to force Rossello to step down. Organizers aim to draw 1 million protesters. One of San Juan's major motorways, Espreso Las Americas, is expected to close. Along with this, San Juan's biggest shopping mall announced it won't open, university classes have been canceled, some banks are closed, and cruise ships are being diverted from San Juan.
