© 2026 WGCU News
PBS and NPR for Southwest Florida
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello Says He Will Not Seek Reelection In 2020

Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello announced Sunday that he will no longer seek reelection in 2020.
Alex Wong
/
Getty Images
Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello announced Sunday that he will no longer seek reelection in 2020.

Updated at 9:05 p.m. ET

Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló announced Sunday that he will not seek reelection in 2020.

The announcement follows days of protests across the island sparked by leaked messages between Rosselló and his staff. The messages were widely condemned as homophobic and misogynistic.

Facing calls for his resignation, Rosselló went on Facebook Live on Sunday evening and said that while he will not seek reelection next year, he does intend to finish his term as governor. Additionally, he said he would step down as president of the island's New Progressive Party.

"A large portion of the population is unhappy and I recognize it," Rosselló said on Sunday. "I've heard you ... Today I have the responsibility to direct my strengths to try to find alternatives so that with God we may be able to move forward."

The announcement comes the night before protesters were expected to turn out in the thousands along San Juan's largest highway to demonstrate against Rossello.

But as NPR's Adrian Florido reports from Puerto Rico, Rosselló's announcement is unlikely to stop Monday's demonstration from happening.

"There is a lot of anger and fury and frustration with the governor," Florido said in an interview with All Things Considered. "People are calling for his resignation immediately. I think they don't want him at all. They don't want him a day longer."

After decades of government corruption, a more than decade-long recession and an ongoing debt crisis, the leaked messages between the governor and his staff proved to be a breaking point for many Puerto Ricans.

The nearly 900 pages of text messages — published by Puerto Rico's Center for Investigative Journalism — have also been seen as elitist and included statements mocking the troubles of Puerto Ricans as they continue to recover from 2017's Hurricane Maria that caused nearly 3,000 deaths. In one message, Rosselló's chief financial officer joked about the people who died in Hurricane Maria and the number of bodies that had piled up as a result.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Wynne Davis is a digital reporter and producer for NPR's All Things Considered.
Trusted by over 30,000 local subscribers

Local News, Right Sized for Your Morning

Quick briefs when you are busy, deeper explainers when it matters, delivered early morning and curated by WGCU editors.

  • Environment
  • Local politics
  • Health
  • And more

Free and local. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

More from WGCU
  • Nearly 49,000 people took to the streets Tuesday afternoon to take part in more than 1,200 events across the U.S. Locally, the Free America Walkout, orchestrated by WomensMarch.com, brought nearly 40 people, waving signs, flags, and banners, to the I-75 Estero Overpass Bridge. Countless drivers in a variety of vehicles passed under on I-75, many honking horns as the demonstrators protested the Trump Administration's immigration policies, the conduct of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, and what the organizer contended is a slippery slope toward fascism.
  • An Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo obtained by The Associated Press reveals that the agency allows immigration officers to forcibly enter homes to make arrests without a judicial warrant. This change reverses previous guidance and raises concerns about constitutional protections against illegal searches. The memo, signed by ICE's acting director, states that administrative warrants are sufficient for forced entry if there's a final order of removal. This policy could face legal challenges and criticism from advocacy groups. Whistleblower Aid, representing two government officials, describes the directive as seemingly unconstitutional and a significant shift in arrest powers. The Associated Press obtained the memo and whistleblower complaint from an official in Congress.
  • Students in Florida are falling behind the rest of the nation when it comes to reading. The most recent Report Card from The NAEP says this.