Ricky Martin, Bad Bunny Join Puerto Rico Protests Against Governor Rossello

Thousands of Puerto Ricans continued Wednesday their fourth consecutive day protesting in the main cities of the island and demanding the resignation of Governor Ricardo Rossello, who is immersed in a scandal involving leaked offensive messages on the chat app Telegram against journalists and political leaders. 

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The Colectiva Femenina organization called for a demonstration in Old San Juan in which artists such as Residente, Daddy Yankee, Ricky Martin and Bad Bunny will be present.

"My heart suffers for the events and my voice joins that of all those who, more than an explanation, demand a change... Transparency has to be part of our culture to fight corruption. I join a peaceful protest to demand for transparency and, above all, to demand for respect," the singer Daddy Yankee said.

A day earlier in San Juan protests began in the vicinity of La Fortaleza, the seat of government, where a group of women sat in the street and covered their mouths with a tape saying "Resign."

Throughout the day, the protests multiplied in dozens of places through peaceful civil resistance actions. For example, in the neighborhood of Rio Piedras, a group of people expressed their anger at their government by removing the image of Rossello which was at the offices of the Driver Services Center.

"This cannot be allowed, it is disrespectful," said Bad Bunny, referring to what is happening in Puerto Rico and added that the Rossello government is stealing in our face."

"Frustrated and angry, I feel an awful chest pressure and how I can get rid of this anguish is simply traveling to Puerto Rico and saying present on the march," Ricky Martin said and recalled that Rosello and his friends made fun of women, the LGBTI community, people with disabilities, and the obese. "Enough, this cannot be."

The Puerto Rico governor said the artists demanding his dismissal are causing an unprecedented institutional crisis. However, Rossello insisted that he will remain in office, for he did not commit any crime.

Besides being ignited by a U.S. federal probe into his government's corruption, ongoing protests against the governor were also sparked by the publication of derogatory, misogynistic and homophobic Telegram messages between the Puerto Rican governor and his closest allies, "the Brothers."

In the midst of these events, the U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo will make a stop in San Juan on Thursday as part of his official trip to Argentina, Ecuador, Mexico and El Salvador.