Puerto Rico Gov. Not Seeking Re-Election, Will Not Resign
Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló on Sunday announced that he will not seek re-election to his office and is stepping down from his party — but will still not resign just hours after he summoned members of his cabinet amid protests that show no sign of dissipating.
Rosselló made the announcement on Facebook just before 6 p.m. as thousands of protesters have descended onto the streets of Old San Juan in the past week to demand Rosselló resign after a series of online chats were leaked.
A march is scheduled for Monday as the president of the Utier labor union announced that protesters will gather near the Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan at 9 a.m.
High-profile Puerto Rican celebrities including Residente, Bad Bunny and Ricky Martin are expected to participate, Telemundo Puerto Rico reports.
Officials who entered the La Fortaleza official governor's residence in Old San Juan on Sunday include Public Security Secretary Elmer Román; Agriculture Secretary Carlos Flores Ortega; Economic Development and Commerce Secretary Manuel A. Laboy; and Tourism Director Carla Campos.
Rosselló on Tuesday held a press conference in which he promised to stay in his post to ensure "continuity in government."
"I have not committed any illegal acts, I only committed improper acts," Rosselló said.
In the chats on the encrypted messaging app Telegram, Rosselló calls one New York female politician of Puerto Rican background a "whore," describes another as a "daughter of a b****" and makes fun of an obese man he posed with in a photo.
The chat also contains vulgar references to Puerto Rican star Ricky Martin's homosexuality and a series of emojis of a raised middle finger directed at a federal control board overseeing the island's finances.
Photo Credit: Telemundo Puerto Rico
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