Ricky Renuncia — Summer 2019 protests force governor to resign

In July 2019, Puerto Rico erupted in the largest protests in its modern history. The immediate trigger was the leak of nearly 900 pages of private Telegram chat messages between Governor Ricardo Rosselló and his inner circle. The messages revealed:

• Homophobic slurs against Ricky Martin
• Sexist remarks about political opponents
• Jokes about the dead from Hurricane María, including a comment about feeding corpses to crows
• Coordination to manipulate public opinion and media coverage
• Discussion of corrupt dealings

The leaks came shortly after the arrest of two government officials on corruption charges and amidst ongoing anger over the government's failed response to Hurricane María and the PROMESA fiscal control board's austerity measures.

What followed was extraordinary: an estimated 500,000 people (roughly one-sixth of Puerto Rico's population) marched on San Juan's major highways on July 22, 2019, in what became known as the "Ricky Renuncia" (Ricky Resign) movement. The protests were notable for their diversity — uniting people across political parties, age groups, and socioeconomic backgrounds — and their creative expressions including music, art, and perreo (reggaetón dancing).

Rosselló resigned on August 2, 2019, making him the first Puerto Rican governor to resign in the island's history. The protests demonstrated that Puerto Ricans would no longer accept colonial mismanagement and corruption silently.