AMERICA/PUERTO RICO - Scandal chat: people ask for the governor's resignation

Friday, 19 July 2019 corruption   social situation   local churches  

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San Juan (Agenzia Fides) - The publication of 900 pages of a "private chat", which reports conversations among Governor Ricardo Roselló and his ministers between November 2018 and January 2019, where they make fun of and mock women, gay groups, the obese, the sick, even of the dead, has unleashed a general protest, in a country in crisis for some time. The messages published are offensive, misogynistic, mocking, homophobic and discriminatory regarding politicians, journalists and celebrities. The conversational texts, taken from the Telegram messaging application, were disseminated by the Puerto Rico Investigative Journalism Center.
The governor, with a public deed, informed that they were "private conversations", but when all the negative statements were made known, even with very offensive phrases, regarding trade unions, they too took to the streets. Yesterday more than 100 thousand people in the capital alone gave birth to a demonstration against the Governor. A group of protesters went to the Governor's building for a silent protest and to honor the victims of Hurricane Maria, that devastated Puerto Rico a year ago. No one knows exactly how many people died during the hurricane, as the government handled all the relevant information, including aid. It is estimated that there were about 4,650 deaths or even more. The published chats also feature irreverent phrases about the bodies left in the morgue during that catastrophe.
Another reason that sparked the popular protest is the criminal management of subcontracts discovered in this chat. Indeed, Puerto Ricans have long been suffering due to taxes, the high cost of living and the non-existence of basic social services.
Agencies reported several violent clashes between protesters and police yesterday evening. (CE) (Agenzia Fides, 19/7/2019)


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