Puerto Rico governor to resign, protesters warn successor: ’’You’re next’’

SAN JUAN (Reuters): Puerto Ricans danced among the brightly coloured houses of San Juan on Thursday after Governor Ricardo Rosselló capitulated to 12 days of protests and resigned, but many in the crowd warned they would reject the person in line to succeed him.

The first-term governor told the island just before midnight that he would resign on Aug. 2 in the face of public anger over profane chat messages and a corruption scandal that drew as many as 500,000 protesters onto the island capital’s streets.

Protesters were not enthused over Secretary of Justice Wanda Vázquez being next in line to succeed Rosselló, based on current Cabinet vacancies: One waved a sign reading “Wanda, we don’t want you either” and another shouted, “Wanda, you’re next!”

Leaders of Rosselló’s pro-statehood party were scrambling on Thursday to negotiate another successor, according to three sources familiar with the talks who requested anonymity to discuss them.

During Rosselló’s term as governor, Puerto Rico endured back-to-back 2017 hurricanes that killed thousands months after the US territory filed for bankruptcy to restructure $ 120 billion of debt and pension obligations.

“I’m really, really, really, really happy, but I know we need to stay right here, screaming,” Julie Rivera, 21, said after Rosselló said he would step down. She added that she believed his designated successor, 59-year-old former district attorney Vázquez, was too close to the disgraced governor.

Vázquez rejected charges of improper past business ties leveled in Puerto Rican media.

“During our career in public service, we’ve showed that we’ve worked in a righteous and honest manner to benefit the public,” Vázquez said.

Vázquez was unlikely to actually become governor, said one of the three sources, a person familiar with Rosselló’s administration.

“Whoever it is, it can’t be someone in Ricky’s inner circle or close to his government,” that person said. “It has to be someone from the outside.”

That source, as well as a person familiar with Puerto Rico-related policymaking at the federal government and Puerto Rico Representative Luis Vega Ramos, a political rival of Rosselló, all said a top candidate for the job is Pedro Pierluisi, the island’s former representative in the US Congress.

Pierluisi, a member of Rosselló’s party, ran against him in the gubernatorial election in 2016, losing in a primary.

He could be positioned to become the next governor if he is nominated and confirmed as secretary of state before Rosselló resigns. That post, currently vacant, is first in line to succeed the governor.

Pierluisi did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Vázquez spokesman Kelvin Carrasco acknowledged that a new secretary of state would take succession precedence if one were named.