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How Misogyny and #TelegramGate Led to the Protests in Puerto Rico
Calls for the governor to resign point to a larger crisis of corruption
Thousands of protestors have taken to the streets of Puerto Rico for the past week in what has been an unprecedented act of mobilization. These mass demonstrations in the archipelago and the global diaspora are calling for the governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rosselló, to resign, spurred by a number of recent events.
The protests are embedded within a larger fight against a crisis of corruption that has enveloped the archipelago. Former Education Secretary Julia Keleher and former Health Insurance Administration executive director Angela Avila-Marrero were among those arrested and charged with multiple counts of conspiracy to commit fraud, electronic fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy to launder money.
On July 10, excerpts leaked of a telegram chat, of which the Governor of Puerto Rico was a member. In the transcript that took place in late 2018 to early 2019, members of Rosselló’s cabinet, aides, and advisors exchanged sexist comments about women politicians, including calling former New York City Council member, Melissa Mark-Viverito, a “puta” (whore) and suggesting she be physically attacked.
The chat demonstrated a…
