A Ricky y sus amiguis
by Melissa Martínez-Raga
Hello, reader. Before you examine my photo essay, consider this: During the last two weeks of July, Puerto Rico erupted in protest.
After members of his administration were arrested for embezzling millions of dollars in relief funds, 889 pages of private chats between ex-governor Ricardo “Ricky” Rosselló and his inner circle, many in his cabinet, were leaked to the public. In just two months, these buddies mocked women and violence against them, LGBTQ+ and disabled individuals, even the dead from Hurricane María. The government announced 64 as the official toll, when it was in fact over 4,600 puertorriqueños, puertorriqueñas, and puertorriqueñxs who passed away in the following weeks. Without any qualms, we, el pueblo, millions in Puerto Rico and the diaspora, demanded resignation: #RickyRenuncia turned into #RickyLeaks and #TelegramGate. He indeed stepped down, but not after manipulating the people, police, media, and press. The following quotes are these men’s comments on figures such as Ricky Martin, San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín, and Colectiva Feminista, directly pulled from the chat.
This is my understanding of what el pueblo, the collective power of the people, is capable of.
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