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Puerto Ricans Celebrate, Shoot Fireworks as Island’s Top Democrat Announces Resignation

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In the aftermath of a major scandal, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello announced his resignation. Residents of the island were ecstatic, taking to the streets to shoot fireworks and cheer his departure.

Rossello’s official resignation date is Aug. 2, but Puerto Ricans aren’t waiting to show their happiness at the announcement.

Videos of the celebrations were soon posted on Twitter and showed the sheer scale of opposition to the departing governor.

Rossello, a registered Democrat, was at the center of a scandal after leaks of less-than-respectful conversations between the governor and his advisers leaked.

Rossello ran for the governor’s spot as a candidate for the New Progressive Party, a Puerto Rican party supporting statehood for the island.

Some of the messages disparaged his political rivals in ugly language, while others advocated for outright violence against his critics.

“I am salivating to shoot her,” Rossello said of San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz, a vocal critic of the governor.

The leaked messages also attacked the sexuality of Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin, according to CNN.

Shortly after the messages hit the public realm, the island erupted in anger.

Photos of the protests show the scale of the crowd, with hundreds of thousands of people rising to express their disapproval of Rossello.

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For now, it looks like the people of Puerto Rico have made it clear they will not put up with this sort of behavior from their leader.

Despite Rossello’s departure, his successor Wanda Vázquez isn’t exactly out of the woods yet. The protesting crowds regularly boo and hiss when her name is mentioned.

Only time will tell if the crowds begin demanding Vázquez resign as well.

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Jared has written more than 200 articles and assigned hundreds more since he joined The Western Journal in February 2017. He was an infantryman in the Arkansas and Georgia National Guard and is a husband, dad and aspiring farmer.
Jared has written more than 200 articles and assigned hundreds more since he joined The Western Journal in February 2017. He is a husband, dad, and aspiring farmer. He was an infantryman in the Arkansas and Georgia National Guard. If he's not with his wife and son, then he's either shooting guns or working on his motorcycle.
Location
Arkansas
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Military, firearms, history




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