Ricardo Rosselló, Puerto Rico’s governor, resigns

By The New York Times On Jul 25, 2019

By Patricia Mazzei and Frances Robles

SAN JUAN, P.R. — Gov. Ricardo A. Rosselló of Puerto Rico announced his resignation on Wednesday, conceding that he could no longer credibly remain in power after an extraordinary popular uprising and looming impeachment proceedings had derailed his administration.

In a statement posted online late Wednesday, Mr. Rosselló, 40, said he would step down on Aug. 2.

He said his successor for the moment would be the secretary of justice, Wanda Vázquez, a former district attorney who once headed the island’s office of women’s affairs.

[…]

Mr. Rosselló is the first chief executive to step down during a term since Puerto Ricans started electing their governors in 1947. He had been expected to seek re-election in 2020.

Mr. Rosselló’s extraordinary downfall followed more than a week of fervent public protests demanding his exit.

The demonstrations were touched off by a leaked private group chat on the messaging app Telegram that revealed crude conversations among Mr. Rosselló and his closest advisers — and pointed to possible wrongdoing within their circle.

Click here to read the full NY Times article.