Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossell Resigns After Chat Scandal

Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossell resigned late Wednesday amid mass protests over the ongoing fallout from the publication of embarrassing chat messages and charges of corruption within his administration.

Rossell said in a video message that he would resign effective Aug. 2 at 5 p.m. local time. He said he will be replaced by Puerto Ricos secretary of justice, Wanda Vazquez.

Rossell spent much of his 10-minute address reading off a list of his accomplishments while in office, saying he was successful at fighting corruption and working to lower taxes.

The results are what most matter, and they are favorable results in the worst scenario imaginable, the governor said, according to a translation from The New York Times. He later noted that demands for his removal had been overwhelming, and Ive received them with the highest degree of humility.

The announcement of his resignation drew immediate celebration in San Juan as protesters burst into cheers and lighted fireworks over the capital.

BREAKING: It is official. @ricardorossello will resign effective August 2. Protesters light fireworks, erupt in euphoric cheer. Here is the moment they find out their cries, fraught as they are, have been heard. That Ricky has resigned. #rickyrenuncia #PuertoRico pic.twitter.com/y3FYBidOGa

Nick Brown (@NickPBrown) July 25, 2019","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Nick Brown","author_url":"https://twitter.com/NickPBrown","cache_age":86400,"description":"BREAKING: It is official. @ricardorossello will resign effective August 2. Protesters light fireworks, erupt in euphoric cheer. Here is the moment they find out their cries, fraught as they are, have been heard. 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BREAKING: It is official. @ricardorossello will resign effective August 2. Protesters light fireworks, erupt in euphoric cheer. Here is the moment they find out their cries, fraught as they are, have been heard. That Ricky has resigned. #rickyrenuncia #PuertoRico pic.twitter.com/y3FYBidOGa
Nick Brown (@NickPBrown) July 25, 2019

The people of Puerto Rico have endured so muchdisaster and tragedy, economic crisis, government corruption, generations of disrespect. I'm inspired by my fellow U.S. citizens and their movement to hold their government accountable. https://t.co/ifDuPOwfjV

Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) July 25, 2019","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Elizabeth Warren","author_url":"https://twitter.com/ewarren","cache_age":86400,"description":"The people of Puerto Rico have endured so muchdisaster and tragedy, economic crisis, government corruption, generations of disrespect. 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The people of Puerto Rico have endured so muchdisaster and tragedy, economic crisis, government corruption, generations of disrespect. I'm inspired by my fellow U.S. citizens and their movement to hold their government accountable. https://t.co/ifDuPOwfjV
Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) July 25, 2019

#SanJuan tonight #RickyRenuncia pic.twitter.com/y9z6lMEI1o

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#SanJuan tonight #RickyRenuncia pic.twitter.com/y9z6lMEI1o
Latino Rebels (@latinorebels) July 25, 2019

Honored to be part of a country where people are fearless and take to the streets in a true act of hope and dignity, Carmin Yuln Cruz, the mayor of San Juan, wrote on Twitter. This has just begun. VIVA PUERTO RICO.

Earlier this week, hundreds of thousands of people marched through the streets of San Juan, the U.S. territorys capital, shutting down major thoroughfares in one of the largest protests ever seen on the island.

The demonstrations were largely centered on the publication of nearly 900 pages of messages from a private group chat among Rossell and his close aides, a scandal dubbed Chatgate . Many of the messages were highly offensive. The men insulted women, people with disabilities and victims of 2017s devastating Hurricane Maria.

But the outrage also fed into widespread frustration with Rossells leadership. Puerto Ricans have long voiced discontent with the languishing recovery efforts after Maria and a long-lasting economic crisis that has harshly affected everyday citizens. At the same time, several members of Rossells administration have been arrested in recent weeks by federal officials as part of a sprawling corruption investigation .

Law enforcement officials also seized several cellphones this week from some of the governors aides, although its unclear what charges could stem from the chat messages.

Vazquez, Rossells replacement, already faces heavy criticism . She has been the islands secretary of justice since January 2017 but has been the subject of ethics complaints and has drawn some fierce political opposition. She has also faced calls to resign.

If she assumes the governorship as planned, she would be the territorys second-ever female leader.

Rossell, 40, had attempted to resist calls that he resign , saying Sunday that he planned to step down as the head of his party and not seek reelection next year.

Ive made mistakes, and I apologize, Rossell said during remarks last week. To every Puerto Rican man and woman, I have heard you and I hear you today.

President Donald Trump had attacked Rossell amid the protests and the chat scandal, saying he was a terrible governor and calling himself the best thing that ever happened to Puerto Rico.

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The White House has continually lambasted the cost associated with recovery efforts after Hurricane Maria, and Trump has complained that billions of dolllars in emergency funding has gone into the hands of incompetent and very corrupt people.

The president has falsely claimed that the island had gotten about $92 billion in aid, but Congress has authorized only $42.5 billion in recovery money. Much of that hasnt yet been sent to the island.

Hurricane Maria caused an estimated $90 billion in damage , making it the third-costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, according to the federal government.

This article has been updated with statements from Rossell.