Large-Scale Protests in Puerto Rico in 2019

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Large-scale protests in Puerto Rico in summer 2019 began after the public presentation of the correspondence between Ricardo Rosselló, the head of state, and his team. About 900 pages of messages in Telegram were clarified and made available to people. Since the data leaked, more than 500,000 Puerto Ricans took part in the protest against the governor (Aronoff, 2018). Rosselló and his team not only allowed themselves rude jokes about political opponents, but also discussed situations that could be classified as corruption, criminal offenses, and the abuse of power. However, this leakage was only a trigger of protests, while an economic decrease and tense political situation were its actual reasons.

First, Puerto Ricos economic depression deteriorated gradually since 2006. Mismanagement by both island and federal agencies in the emergency caused by the Hurricane Maria in 2017 led to the further economic decline (Aronoff, 2019). The residents of the territory faced significant challenges with employment, income, and providing their families with basic needs. After that, Puerto Rico, the territory owned by the US (but not part of it), was struggling to recover from Hurricane Maria, trying to restructure part of the $ 70 billion debt (Aronoff, 2019). It should also be stressed that on the territory of the island, there are a great number of Americans, having no full representation in Congress or voting for the president.

Second, the protests were also triggered by plans that drastically cut social benefits, salaries, and pensions. Moreover, these plans were not developed by the governor of the island, who still has not recovered from the devastating Hurricane Maria consequences (Aronoff, 2018). Therefore, it can be claimed that the protests were not only directed against Rosselló, but against a special body overseeing the fiscal system of Puerto Rico based on the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA). This body, which is called la junta by the local people, was launched by Washington. Having no elected officials in its composition, it dictated the islands tax, budgetary, and financial policies (Aronoff, 2019). The demands of protesters were social and economic support of residents, addressing the health crisis, and providing food ration cards for the poor populations.

Third, the approach of the ex-governor and his team to Puerto Ricans shows the social situation. Rosselló and his colleagues mocked at the victims of Maria. They also ridiculed women politicians and Ricky Martin, while protesters demanded eliminating misogyny and homophobia (Serrano, 2019). Most importantly, these officials flaunted their right to untouchability in numerous cases of corruption. Such a disparaging attitude to people indicates that the entire system is likely to practice discrimination and ignorance. Accordingly, these issues create mistrust to the government, which is complicated by the difficult social conditions.

To conclude, the publication of Rossellós private correspondence from the closed chat of the Telegram channel activated the protests. The reasons for these protests were deeper than the resentment over the correspondence. Namely, they were related to the negative economic and political situation in the country, as well as corruption in the government. It can be stated that the largest recent government crisis in Puerto Rico came to its logical conclusion. Nevertheless, the current situation in this island territory remains complicated since people still lack social and economic support and political rights.