Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló will reportedly resign Wednesday after leaked text messages between him and his aides sparked an island-wide call for his ousting.
The reports from multiple outlets about his resignation comes a day after thousands of protesters descended upon Puerto Rico’s capital city, San Juan, to call for his ousting.
The Puerto Rico Democrat has been under fire after an investigative journalism outlet published hundreds of leaked texts between Mr. Rosselló and his main advisers, including misogynistic language, homophobic slurs directed toward journalists and pop singer Ricky Martin, and jokes about shooting San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz.
The messages also made light of 2017’s Hurricane Maria, which caused more than 3,000 deaths and devastated the island.
Mr. Rosselló originally stepped down as the leader of his party and promised to not run for reelection, but he stopped short from resigning.
This sparked the massive protests seen Tuesday, which shut down highways and streets with Puerto Ricans chanting “Ricky Renuncia” or “Ricky Resign,” protesting not only the texts but also for years of alleged corruption and instability.
His successor is expected to be Puerto Rico Secretary of Justice Wanda Vazquez.
• Bailey Vogt can be reached at bvogt@washingtontimes.com.
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