Thursday, March 28, 2024

Puerto Rico protests: Thousands march for fifth consecutive day to press governor to resign

Puerto Rico protests: Thousands march for fifth consecutive day to press governor to resign
July 18, 2019

SAN JUAN (Web Desk) - Thousands of protesters marched in Puerto Rico for a fifth day on Wednesday demanding the resignation of Governor Ricardo Rossello, following corruption accusations and the leak of text chats in which he made sexist and homophobic remarks.

To the chant of "Ricky, renuncia!" ("Ricky, resign!") large crowds gathered in the capital San Juan clamouring for Rossello to leave office - which he is refusing to do.

Local celebrity performers such as rapper Benito Martinez ("Bad Bunny"), pop icon Ricky Martin and Rene Perez ("Residente") had urged their fellow Puerto Ricans to demonstrate.

"Not just me, but many Puerto Ricans will hit the streets to demonstrate for what is correct," rapper Martinez told the Spanish-language Telemundo network before heading to the march. Police fired tear gas at the crowd on Monday after a fire broke out near the government headquarters. Five protesters were arrested.
Puerto Rico protests
Puerto Rican rapper Rene Juan Perez warmed up the crowd in front of the Puerto Rican Capitol, before the protest march kicked off [Dennis M Rivera Pichardo/AP Photo]
The Caribbean island of Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States and residents are American citizens, but it does not have the same congressional representation accorded to states. Rossello is under pressure after US federal agents arrested contractors and government officials, including former Education Secretary Julia Keleher, on corruption charges. The protests erupted after the Center for Investigative Journalism on Saturday released 889 pages of text chats on the encrypted messaging app Telegram in which Rossello and 12 other male administration members criticise officials, politicians and journalists. They shared memes, jokes and crude sexual insults, according to the Center and an excerpt published by local daily El Nuevo Dia. In one exchange, Chief Financial Officer Christian Sobrino makes homophobic references to Latin superstar Martin. Martin, of Livin' la Vida Loca and She Bangs fame, vented his fury in a video posted on Twitter. "They mocked our dead, they mocked women, they mocked the LGBT community, they made fun of people with physical and mental disabilities, they made fun of obesity," he said. "It's enough - this cannot be." Demonstrators are also angry over Rossello's handling of the Hurricane Maria emergency in 2017, which left nearly 3,000 dead, and the island in financial crisis. Some stores near the government headquarters nailed wood planks over their windows anticipating unrest.
SOURCE: AFP NEWS AGENCY