Puerto Rico's governor has apologized for profanity-laced comments he made in a private chat to describe a former New York City government official and a federal control board overseeing the island's finances.
Gov. Ricardo Rosselló said Thursday that he was working 18 hour days and releasing tensions when he called former New York City Council speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito the Spanish word for "whore" and in English told the board "go f--- yourself."
Click to Gallery
Puerto Rico's governor has apologized for profanity-laced comments he made in a private chat to describe a former New York City government official and a federal control board overseeing the island's finances.
Demonstrators holding signs that read in Spanish "Corruption is violence" and "Ricky renounce", protest near the executive mansion denouncing a wave of arrests for corruption that has shaken the country and demanding the resignation of Gov. Ricardo Rosello, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Thursday, July 11, 2019. Puerto Rico's former secretary of education and 5 other people have been arrested on charges of steering federal money to unqualified, politically connected contractors. U.S. Attorney for Puerto Rico Rosa Emilia Rodríguez said Gov. Rossello was not involved in the investigation. (AP PhotoCarlos Giusti)
Dozens of citizens holding a sign that reads in Spanish "Puerto Rico rise up, unite now!" protest near the executive mansion denouncing a wave of arrests for corruption that has shaken the country and demanding the resignation of Gov. Ricardo Rosello, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Thursday, July 11, 2019. Puerto Rico's former secretary of education and 5 other people have been arrested on charges of steering federal money to unqualified, politically connected contractors. U.S. Attorney for Puerto Rico Rosa Emilia Rodríguez said Gov. Rossello was not involved in the investigation. (AP PhotoCarlos Giusti)
Citizens carrying a banner that reads in Spanish "Ricarod Rosello, renounce" protest near the executive mansion denouncing a wave of arrests for corruption that has shaken the country and demanding the resignation of Gov. Ricardo Rosello, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Thursday, July 11, 2019. Puerto Rico's former secretary of education and 5 other people have been arrested on charges of steering federal money to unqualified, politically connected contractors. U.S. Attorney for Puerto Rico Rosa Emilia Rodríguez said Gov. Rossello was not involved in the investigation. (AP PhotoCarlos Giusti)
Dozens of citizens protest near the executive mansion denouncing a wave of arrests for corruption that has shaken the country and demanding the resignation of Gov. Ricardo Rosello, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Thursday, July 11, 2019. Puerto Rico's former secretary of education and 5 other people have been arrested on charges of steering federal money to unqualified, politically connected contractors. U.S. Attorney for Puerto Rico Rosa Emilia Rodríguez said Gov. Rossello was not involved in the investigation. The sign up front reads in Spanish "We want that herd of corrupt officials in prison." (AP PhotoCarlos Giusti)
The comments drew the ire of many Puerto Ricans who said they were ashamed of his language and of how this might affect the reputation of the U.S. territory, which already came under scrutiny earlier this week with the arrests of former government officials including the island's education secretary facing corruption charges.
Puerto Rico governor Ricardo Rossello holds a press conference, almost two days after federal authorities arrested the island's former secretary of education and five other people on charges of steering federal money to unqualified, politically connected contractors, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Thursday, July 11, 2019. At the time of the arrests, Rossello was in the middle of a family vacation in France, which he canceled to travel back to the Island. U.S. Attorney for Puerto Rico Rosa Emilia Rodríguez said Gov. Ricardo Rossello was not involved in the investigation. (AP PhotoCarlos Giusti)
Demonstrators holding signs that read in Spanish "Corruption is violence" and "Ricky renounce", protest near the executive mansion denouncing a wave of arrests for corruption that has shaken the country and demanding the resignation of Gov. Ricardo Rosello, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Thursday, July 11, 2019. Puerto Rico's former secretary of education and 5 other people have been arrested on charges of steering federal money to unqualified, politically connected contractors. U.S. Attorney for Puerto Rico Rosa Emilia Rodríguez said Gov. Rossello was not involved in the investigation. (AP PhotoCarlos Giusti)
Dozens of citizens holding a sign that reads in Spanish "Puerto Rico rise up, unite now!" protest near the executive mansion denouncing a wave of arrests for corruption that has shaken the country and demanding the resignation of Gov. Ricardo Rosello, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Thursday, July 11, 2019. Puerto Rico's former secretary of education and 5 other people have been arrested on charges of steering federal money to unqualified, politically connected contractors. U.S. Attorney for Puerto Rico Rosa Emilia Rodríguez said Gov. Rossello was not involved in the investigation. (AP PhotoCarlos Giusti)
Citizens carrying a banner that reads in Spanish "Ricarod Rosello, renounce" protest near the executive mansion denouncing a wave of arrests for corruption that has shaken the country and demanding the resignation of Gov. Ricardo Rosello, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Thursday, July 11, 2019. Puerto Rico's former secretary of education and 5 other people have been arrested on charges of steering federal money to unqualified, politically connected contractors. U.S. Attorney for Puerto Rico Rosa Emilia Rodríguez said Gov. Rossello was not involved in the investigation. (AP PhotoCarlos Giusti)
Dozens of citizens protest near the executive mansion denouncing a wave of arrests for corruption that has shaken the country and demanding the resignation of Gov. Ricardo Rosello, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Thursday, July 11, 2019. Puerto Rico's former secretary of education and 5 other people have been arrested on charges of steering federal money to unqualified, politically connected contractors. U.S. Attorney for Puerto Rico Rosa Emilia Rodríguez said Gov. Rossello was not involved in the investigation. The sign up front reads in Spanish "We want that herd of corrupt officials in prison." (AP PhotoCarlos Giusti)