THE PEOPLE OF PUERTO RICO VERSUS RICARDO ROSSELLÓ: A CASE STUDY IN POPULAR POLITICS
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Date
2021-12-23
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Johns Hopkins University
Abstract
On July 11, 2019, the Puerto Rico Center for Investigative Journalism (CIJ) published 889 pages of a private text chat between Governor Ricardo Rosselló and his closest allies. The leaked text interactions included inappropriate discussions about confidential government and policy matters. Racist, sexist, xenophobic, bullying, derogatory and potentially illegal behavior were exposed. In reaction to this, angry protests spontaneously arose against the governor. The anger was transformed into collective action and then into a social movement. After two weeks of cyber-activism and street protests, for the first time in Puerto Rico’s history, a sitting governor resigned before his term expired.
This thesis analyzes the factors that caused the “Summer of 2019,” its international context, Governor Rosselló’s leadership style as he faced a devastating political scandal, and the critical role of investigative journalism and social media in fueling a social movement. To accomplish these goals, this paper does an in-depth study of the events that marked the month of July 2019 in Puerto Rico as a social and political phenomenon. A significant shift has occurred in how Puerto Ricans relate to politics, access political power, and make their voices be heard. The “Summer of 2019” proved that public and media pressure is enough to unseat a governor. Additionally, it demonstrated that investigative journalism, combined with social media, can effectively educate, galvanize, and mobilize the public.
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Summer of 2019, Ricardo Rosello, social movements, protests, political scandals, Puerto Rico, Verano del 19, peaceful protests, civic engagement