SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Embattled Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló announced that he is resigning on Aug. 2 following weeks of protests.
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News that he was expected to resign was first reported Tuesday evening by two local news organizations, El Nuevo Dia and WAPA-TV. An unnamed source later confirmed the reports to CNN.
Rosselló had said Sunday that he will not resign. He said he would not seek reelection or continue as the head of his pro-statehood political party.
Rosselló will be replaced by Wanda Vazquez, Puerto Rico's secretary of justice, CNN reported.
Thousands of demonstrators have demanded Rosselló's resignation over an obscenity-laced online chat he had with allies and federal corruption charges leveled against his administration.
A judge issued search warrants Tuesday for the cellphones of government officials involved in the crude online chat.
The leaked chat has intensified long-smoldering anger over government corruption and mismanagement that many blame for a 13-year recession and a severe debt crisis that has led to pension cuts and school closings.
Many are also resentful over Puerto Rico's slow recovery from Maria, which devastated the island almost two years ago and led to thousands of deaths.
On Tuesday night, several political figures, including many 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, took to Twitter to weigh in on the announcement. Here's what they were saying:
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