Expected to resign

Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló is expected to resign today, source says

By Steve Almasy, Hollie Silverman and Christina Maxouris

Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló is expected to resign Wednesday after more than a week of protests that rocked the island's capital city, a source familiar with the situation told CNN.

Thousands have jammed the streets of San Juan calling for the governor's resignation after Puerto Rico's Center for Investigative Journalism published a series of group messages between the governor and his inner circle that included homophobic and misogynistic language and jokes about Hurricane Maria victims.

Demonstrators were determined to stay on the streets until Rosselló stepped down, fed up with years of government corruption, high poverty rates, crushing debt and a painfully slow recovery since the 2017 disaster.

Overnight Wednesday, an energetic crowd filled the streets outside the governor's mansion waving flags and banners after news of the governor's anticipated announcement broke.

The person expected to take Rosselló's place is Puerto Rico Secretary of Justice Wanda Vazquez.

His chief of staff resigned

The news comes a day after Rosselló's chief of staff submitted his resignation, effective July 31.

Ricardo Llerandi Cruz wrote in his resignation letter: "The last few days have been extremely difficult for everyone. At this historical juncture it is up to me to take the welfare of my family into consideration. The threats we've received can be tolerated as an individual, but I will never allow them to affect my home."

Protests on the US territory have been ongoing for more than a week -- and older protesters said Monday's demonstrations were among the largest they've ever seen.

Rosselló said Sunday that he would remain in his position, but would not seek reelection in 2020. He also resigned from his position as president of the new Progressive Party.

A federal corruption investigation

Demonstrators said the leaked messages were just one of many reasons why Puerto Rico's leadership needs to go.

"I am fed up with the thieving government," protester Maristella Gross said at Monday night's protest. "I am fed up with corruption. I am fed up with lack of integrity."

The leak, published July 13, came the same week the FBI arrested two former officials from Rosselló's administration as part of a federal corruption investigation.

Education Secretary Julia Keleher and Angela Avila Marrero, executive director of the island's health insurance administration, had resigned prior to their arrests.

Corruption ran deep in the territory years before this administration.

Many Puerto Ricans remember the scandal-plagued tenure of the governor's father, Pedro Rosselló, who served as governor in the 1990s.

"We march for all Puerto Ricans," said Mariana Rivera, 77, as four of her teenage grandchildren pushed her wheelchair under a blistering sun along Las Americas expressway Monday. "What will we leave for our children?"