Rosselló's announcement came after a day of mounting frustration as reporters gathered in front of the governor's mansion for the anticipated announcement and thousands of people gathered nearby in Old San Juan chanting, "Ricky, Renuncia!" Per the island’s constitution, Secretary of Justice Wanda Vázquez is next in line to become governor after Secretary of State Luis Rivera Marín, who was higher up in the line of succession, resigned amid the unfolding scandals. And in 1978, two pro-independence activists were murdered on that date by police officers in what became known as the Cerro Maravilla Massacre. If he’d been impeached by the House, the Puerto Rican Senate would have then voted on whether or not to remove him from office. Listening to Rosselló’s resignation in San Juan. SenPaulStrauss. July 25, 2019 at 11:01 AM EDT. Why Puerto Rico’s governor is resigning . Rosselló becomes the first Puerto Rican governor to resign. At the Somos Más (We Are More) march in San Juan on Thursday, thousands marched on the island’s financial district and called for the U.S. Congress to dissolve the fiscal oversight board it appointed in 2016 to manage the island’s finances and strike down the PROMESA law that created it. bookmark_border. The video, prerecorded and published via Facebook, ended on the stroke of midnight of July 25—an already fateful day in Puerto Rico’s history—and as people heard of his resignation, celebrations erupted across the island and among Puerto Rican communities on the mainland. The demonstrations were … 22:51. Earlier on Wednesday, Méndez had announced that he had the 34 necessary votes to secure impeachment. Share. announces resignation, U.S. commonwealth's first governor to resign, issued search warrants to confiscate the cellphones, the leaking of 889 pages of private chats. Ricardo Rosselló officially resigned. In his recorded message, he urged people to stay orderly. On July 25, 1898, the U.S. Army invaded Puerto Rico as part of the Spanish-American War. Email. What's behind Puerto Rico's protests, scandal? Justice Secretary Wanda Vázquez is next in line. Ricardo Rosselló submitted his resignation after two weeks of island-wide unrest, but the unrest is far from over as protesters focus their message on Washington. The protests were triggered by the leaking of 889 pages of private chats between Rosselló and some of his current and former officials, as well as close associates. the jubilant crowd chanted after the governor's announcement. Bio. "Once the resignation is official, if necessary, I will assume the historic mandate that the Constitution of Puerto Rico commends," she said in a statement. "My only North Star has been the well-being of my island," he said. and top aides. Puerto Rico's embattled governor Ricardo Rossello has announced his resignation following two weeks of massive protests. A young woman holds a sign that reads in Spanish "Corrupt" while protesting outside the executive mansion known as La Fortaleza, in Old San Juan, demanding the resignation of Governor Wanda Vazquez after the discovery of an old warehouse filled with unused emergency supplies in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Monday, Jan. 20, 2020. On Wednesday, after hours of silence from the governor and as protests continued across the island—including a creative perreo combativo protest in which demonstrators danced to reggeaton—the president of the island’s House of Representatives, Carlos “Johnny” Méndez, called an extraordinary session for the following day to officially begin what would have been the first impeachment proceedings against a sitting governor on the island in its 67 years as a commonwealth. Protestors are further calling for the island’s debt, which they say is illegal, to be audited. Copyright 2020 by Americas Society / Council of the Americas. Governor of Puerto Rico resigns. On the same day in 1952, Puerto Rico adopted its first constitution and became a commonwealth of the United States. would step down on July 24, 2019 in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. Protests continued to grow on the island after Rosselló announced Sunday that he wouldn't run for re-election and that he would step down from the leadership of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party. Gov. close. "After the birth of my son, this is the happiest day of my life," acclaimed Puerto Rican reggaeton star René Pérez Joglar, also known as Residente, said. Méndez had announced he had convened a meeting for Thursday afternoon to begin the impeachment process. Puerto Rico: Huge street celebrations as governor Ricardo Rossello resigns over obscenity-laden texts. Media caption Celebrations in San Juan as Puerto Rico Governor Rosselló resigns. ("Ricky, we threw you out!") The Governor of Puerto Rico is the executive of the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico as its head of state and head of government and, by its nature, constitutes the executive branch of the government of the island. ABC News 7,668 views. Protesters celebrate as Puerto Rico Governor Rossell? About sharing. Top coverage. The new governor, Pedro Pierluisi, said he'll stay in the post as long as the Senate ratifies the position. After a rash of offensive and profanity-laden messages by the governor were leaked to the press, Puerto … Over the course of the protests, police continually clashed with protesters outside the governor’s residence of La Fortaleza, using riot gear, pepper spray, and tear gas, a cannister of which accidentally set a car on fire in San Juan after a police officer tried to disperse protesters. Nicole Acevedo reported from New York, Alex Johnson from Los Angeles and Gabe Gutierrez from Puerto Rico. The leaked messages resulted in the opening of local and federal probes, which came on top of recent arrests of former officials and government contractors on charges that include fraud involving federal funding. Follow. Days before Puerto Rico's embattled governor is scheduled to resign, his successor remains unclear, leaving the island's future in question. … The governor of Puerto Rico announced late Wednesday that he will resign effective Aug. 2, amid intense pressure from inside and outside his government, after … Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló Resigns After Chat Scandal Puerto Ricans have been marching through San Juan to protest allegations of corruption and offensive messages published during the "Chatgate" scandal. Puerto Rico governor resigns after protests Crowds of protesters erupted in celebration when embattled Gov. A bill in the U.S. Congress may create a special fund to support anti-corruption worldwide. From Twitter. What’s at stake for the region? Amber Phillips. The resignation, which will be effective August 2, comes two weeks after the FBI arrested two top officials from his administration along with their co-conspirators on dozens of corruption charges, a scandal that was then compounded by the publishing of the transcript of a lewd, ongoing chat between Rosselló and his top aides that mocked everyone from political rivals to fatalities in Hurricane María. On Monday, more than half a million people paralyzed metropolitan San Juan in protest, marching across one of the main highways despite heavy rain in a "March of the People" that ended late in the night as police fired tear gas canisters. Copy link. Governor Of Puerto Rico Yields To Public Outcry And Resigns Ricardo Rosselló will resign the office effective Aug. 2. share. Pedro Pierluisi, nominee for Puerto Rico secretary of state, speaks during a confirmation hearing at the House of Representatives, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Friday, Aug. 2, 2019. Puerto Rico governor resigns after mass protests. The governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rosselló, resigned on Friday and swore in a veteran politician as his replacement.. Puerto Rico's Governor Ricardo Rosselló has announced his resignation after days of … Investigators are looking into possible wrongdoing such as corruption and conflicts of interest. Though Rosselló insisted during the course of the two weeks that he would not resign, the writing was on the wall—and not just the protest graffiti on walls across San Juan. Ricardo Rosselló step down for his involvement in a private chat in which he used profanities to describe an ex-New York City councilwoman and a federal control board overseeing the island's finances. On July 24, a group of three lawyers convened by Méndez to review the contents of the Telegram chat and determine if they included impeachable offenses, released a report outlining that Rosselló had committed two criminal charges and three ethical violations—including illicit enrichment from public office, embezzlement, and gross negligence—and recommended that impeachment proceedings begin. Protesters are now turning their voices toward Washington. Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello says he is resigning effective Aug. 2. Rosselló is the U.S. commonwealth's first governor to resign. Vázquez, who was appointed in 2017, is seen as loyal to Rosselló and the hashtag #WandaRenuncia (or "Wanda, resign") started trending on Twitter immediately after Rosselló's address ended. Vázquez also came under public scrutiny for leaving her post as director of the Office of Women’s Rights three years before her term was up to join Rosselló’s administration. In 2018, Vázquez became the first secretary of justice to face criminal charges when the island’s Office of Government Ethics (OEG by its initials in Spanish) filed complaints accusing her of violating ethics law by intervening on behalf of her daughter and son-in-law in a housing dispute. Many legislators oppose Pierluisi because of his ties to a federal fiscal oversight board. A judge issued a warrant on July 23 for the cell phones of those in the chat who had not yet submitted their devices to the Justice Department. Puerto Rico’s governor resigns, Mueller testimony fallout, mom chases down alleged flasher - Duration: 22:51. Crowds in the streets, which for almost two weeks had been calling for the governor to step down, immediately erupted in joyous chants, cheering "Puerto Rico! The chats also revealed the administration's efforts to smear and bring down political opponents. He submitted his resignation letter to Puerto Rico’s legislature later on Thursday. Tens of thousands protested on the … By law, the island's secretary of state would succeed Rosselló, but no one has been confirmed for that position since Luis G. Rivera Marín, who was part of the chat scandal, submitted his resignation July 13. Vázquez initially described the leaked chats as "incorrect" but not illegal. Amber Phillips. Demonstrators chant slogans as they wave Puerto Rican flags during ongoing protests calling for the resignation of Governor Ricardo Rossello in San Juan, Puerto Rico July 24, 2019.