The Governor of Puerto Rico Ricardo Rosselló has announced his resignation following days of massive protests demanding his impeachment over leaked texts with allies where the politician used homophobic and sexist language.
Secretary of Justice Wanda Vázquez will take over the US territory on August 2 when Rosselló's resignation takes effect. Rosselló is the first governor to step down since 1947, when the island started electing their officials.
“The demands have been overwhelming and I've received them with the highest degree of humility,” Rosselló said conceding to the demands of the demonstrators.
His position has become increasingly precarious following the leak of communications with staff members in which he uses sexist, homophobic and otherwise offensive language. Amongst the remarks was a flippant reference about Hurricane Maria, which devastated the island in 2017, in which he jokes about those killed during the disaster. For over a week thousands of protesters took to the streets across the country calling for Rosselló’s resignation.
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