Section 8

Verano Boricua / #RickyRenuncia

The summer of 2019 brought a plurality of Puerto Ricans into the streets, demanding Ricardo Rosselló to resign.

Supported by mobilizations

in the diaspora and beyond, the summer protests that ousted the governor were the largest in Puerto Rico’s modern history, marked by organic creativity, horizontalism, social media organization, and feminist and LGBTQ+ protagonism. This page provides bilingual resources as a starting point for understanding #RickyRenuncia beyond the leaked Telegram chat profanity. Units explore federal intervention leading up to the #Rickyleaks explosion and various strands of indignation that catalyzed the protests. Resources include nuanced perspectives on the mobilizations, from their artistic and embodied characteristics, to state violence and repression that protestors experienced, feminist and LGBTQ+ catalysts, and forms of diasporic solidarity. Provoking a reflection on “¿Y ahora qué?” or “now what?,” the page also provides resources on popular democracy practices currently shaping the afterlives of #RickyRenuncia.

Corruption and Federal Intervention

José Atiles. “The Anti-Corruption Code for the New Puerto Rico.” NACLA, May 7, 2019.

Summary
Various legal measures attempted to at least superficially address transparency and corruption in Puerto Rico before the summer 2019 mobilizations. The author explores the 2018 Anti-Corruption Code, which he argues is more focused on punishing petty corruption “of the weak” rather than major, normalized corruption of the elite and the private sector. Thus in a paradoxical way, legal anti-corruption measures in effect facilitate political corruption and give a free pass to elites, reproducing “colonial and neoliberal understandings of the state, private sector, and corruption.

Bobby Allyn. “FBI Arrests Former Top Puerto Rico Officials In Government Corruption Scandal.” NPR, July 11, 2019.

Summary
This article discusses the corruption indictments U.S. authorities filed against six former officials in Puerto Rico, including Julia Keleher, ex-Secretary of Education, and Ángela Ávila-Marrero, the former leader of Puerto Rico’s health insurance administration.  The charges involved steering government contracts to business cronies, and were widely seen as part of the catalysts to the summer 2019 mobilizations. Ex-Governor Ricardo Rosselló cut his European vacation short to return to Puerto Rico in light of the indictments.

Primary Source: Grand Jury Indicts Puerto Rican Functionaries

Summary
This document is the official 32-count indictment against six ex-Puerto Rican government officials, filed by the U.S. District Court in Puerto Rico on July 9, 2019.

Nicole Cecilia Delgado, Días Naturales. La Impresora, 2018.

Summary
This poetry collection begins with the following poem and question: “Frente al monte/ que vuelve pronto a ser verde/ ¿qué podemos/ hacer nosotras/ para habitarnos?” This encapsulates the collection’s attention to the blurred connections between poetry, nature, and Puerto Rican citizens. Here, for example, poetry takes the shape of mountains and of pieces of mango tree. Nature’s destruction and rebirth after Hurricane María provide paths forward for Puerto Ricans, who seek new ways of inhabiting themselves and their environment.

#Chatgate #Rickyleaks

The Full Telegram Chat (pdf), released by the Centro de Periodismo Investigativo

Pedro Reina-Pérez. “Puerto Rico’s Governor Confirmed His People’s Worst Suspicions.” The Atlantic. July 24, 2019.

Summary
The author of this article describes the sequence of events leading up to the leaked Telegram chats: the then-Treasury Secretary’s public confession, the FBI’s investigation into the Puerto Rican government and, finally, Center for Investigative Reporting’s publishing of 900 pages of leaked chat conversations.  The leaked chat confirmed what people only suspected–that leaders manipulate public opinion and hold even their constituents in contempt.

Yarimar Bonilla. “El gobernador resiliente.” El Nuevo Día, July 15, 2019.

Summary
After the Telegram chat leaks, the governor declared himself a “resilient” governor capable of emerging unscathed from scandal as protests intensified and his cabinet members continue to resign. This article problematizes the notion of “resiliency” and argues that the summer protests re-signified the post-Maria resilience narrative.

Omaya Sosa Pascual y Luis Valentín Ortiz. “El saqueo a los fondos públicos detrás del chat.” Centro de Periodismo Investigativo, July 17, 2019.

Summary
After publishing the full Telegram chat, the Centro de Periodismo Investigativo released a series of articles analyzing its details. In this article, the authors reveal the multimillion-dollar corruption network orchestrated from La Fortaleza with the governor’s full knowledge and participation. The network operated through a modus operandi that placed internal personnel and external contractors in public agency positions to control the flow of information. Privileged information about government contracts was shared within the network to benefit private clients. Key conspirators in this network included lobbyist and long-time friend of Rosselló, Elías Sánchez; publicist Edwin Miranda Reyes; and communications strategist Carlos Bermúdez Urbina. All three men acted as “private citizens” or “contractors,” but wielded major influence over the government.

Yarimar Bonilla and José Caraballo Cueto. “Puerto Rico: Increased federal control is not the solution.” The Hill, July 27, 2019. Spanish Version.

Summary
Some have considered that a solution to Puerto Ricans’ protests against their governor and his administration is to strengthen federal oversight and increase the powers of the Fiscal Control Board. This article challenges this proposal by exposing many ways that the Fiscal Oversight Board has worsened conditions in Puerto Rico. For instance, it has not regulated corruption, it has been untransparent about its own processes, and it has prolonged the economic crisis with austerity measures.

Cristina del Mar Quiles. “Putas y Gatitas.” 80 Grados, July 12, 2019.

Summary
According to the author, the leaked Telegram chats are akin to male “locker-room talk.” The sexism in these chats mirror the archipelago’s public policy, where an educational curriculum with a gendered perspective was shut down by Ricardo Roselló.

Roots of Indignation

Ed Morales. “Why Half a Million Puerto Ricans Are Protesting in the Streets.” The Nation, July 19, 2019.

Summary
This article discusses protests during the week of July 15, 2019 at La Fortaleza, which ended in police aggressively dispersing protestors and suspending the constitutional right to assembly. Morales sees the summer uprising and its diverse protest constituency as a “renaissance of nationalism” and argues that political corruption in Puerto Rico must be understood both locally and as part of the colonial relationship with the U.S.

Marisol LeBrón. “The Protests in Puerto Rico Are About Life and Death.” NACLA, July 18, 2019.

Summary
This article urges a deeper understanding of the summer mobilizations beyond the textual Telegram chat profanity that mainstream media focused on. The author argues that protestors took to the streets because the chat revealed matters of life and death. It showed how political elites “devalue life and facilitate the premature deaths of Puerto Ricans” to maintain the current social order and neoliberal politics.

Interview: Yarimar Bonilla. “Puerto Rican Politics Will Never Be the Same.” Jacobin.

Summary
In this interview between Yarimar Bonilla and Jacobin’s Jonah Walters, Bonilla argues that the summer mobilizations were so broadly galvanizing because of the dismal government response to Hurricane Maria and the collective formations of autogestión that have emerged since the onslaught of the debt crisis. #RickyRenuncia marks a turning point of new possibilities, although conclusions cannot be made about the movement just yet. Bonilla offers some questions to reflect on the complexities of popular democracy in Puerto Rico: “What are the stakes of carrying out an anti-corruption and pro-democracy movement in a colonial context? How democratic can a colony be?”

Marysol Fernández. “Puerto Rico: A story of resistance.” The Brown Daily Herald, September 12, 2019.

Summary
The U.S. press unevenly and inconsistently covered the massive mobilization in Puerto Rico: reporters promoted a narrative that identified the root of the resistance movement in Puerto Rico’s local government corruption and the leaked text messages. This article explains how the sources of anger and indignation are much more complex. Providing a brief but comprehensive summary of the protests and their many iterations, this article shows what has disappeared from the front pages of newspapers in the United States.

Sandy Plácido, “How Puerto Ricans Overcame American Repression to Topple a Governor.” Washington Post, August 2, 2019.

Summary
In the Caribbean, there is a history of forging international coalitions and solidarities when challenging colonial and imperialist forces. This article provides some background about different moments across history where Caribbean islands came together due to their similar struggles. Puerto Rican protestors similarly understood their struggle to be a transnational one.

Ungovernability: Artistic, Embodied, and Leaderless Protests

PERREO COMBATIVO from Karla Claudio Betancourt on Vimeo.

Interview: Ileana Cabra. “Sharpening the Knives”: iLe of Calle 13 on Recording the Anthem of the Puerto Rico Protests.” Democracy Now, July 23, 2019.

Summary
In this interview, singer iLe (Ileana Cabra) reflects on writing one of the summer 2019 protest anthems, “Afilando los Cuchillos,” or “Sharpening the Knives” in collaboration with Residente (Calle 13) and Bad Bunny. iLe reflects on the historic summer protests as Puerto Ricans showing “our true self.” She describes the song’s message to “sharpen our knives” as a symbolic reaction and call to “take action to protect our country.”

Victoria Leandra. “THREAD: All the original ways in which Puerto Ricans have said #RickyRenuncia.” Twitter, July 19, 2019.

Summary
This Twitter thread by journalist Victoria Leandra documents the summer 2019 protest diversity, from photos of protest body art to videos of maritime, horseback, and motorcycle protests.

Stephanie Stoddard Cortés. “#RickyRenuncia: The Powerful Symbols in Puerto Rico’s Historic Uprising.” Emperifollá, July 22, 2019.

Summary
This article explores the nuanced symbolic meanings behind creative forms of protest including body makeup, bomba, the queer collective Haus of Resistance’s “La Renuncia Ball,” and the use of los pañuelos (face coverings) during protests.

Luis Othoniel Rosa. “Pensar en panal. Apuntes sobre las protestas masivas en Puerto Rico.” Mimesis, August 7, 2019.

Summary
The author offers ten reflections on the particularities of the summer protests, attending to themes such as horizontalism and the diverse “characters” that emerged; the “euphoria born of collective fury” and the fundamental role of social media both for on-the-ground organizing and connecting the diaspora; feminist and queer protagonism; and the spatial-symbolic significance of protests taking place in the elite center of Old San Juan.

Video: Karla Claudio Betancourt, “Perreo Combativo.” July 25, 2019.

Summary
During the summer mobilizations, “el perreo” became a significant form of bodily protest, creativity, and enjoyment. This video documents the July 25 “perreo combativo” street dance party on the steps of the San Juan Cathedral in Old San Juan, where hundreds gathered to create spaces to “enjoy and be combative.” In the video caption, Betancourt notes that “there is no liberty without sexual liberty.”

Marina Reyes Franco. “Puerto Rico’s Arts Community Reacts to Protests: ‘The Country We Are Making Together Has to Be Forged in Equity.’ ArtNews, September 12, 2019.

Summary
In this article, the author compiles select contributions from artists and cultural workers from Puerto Rico and the diaspora about their experiences and reflections on the protests. Reyes Franco argues that younger generations at the heart of the #RickyRenuncia movement have inherited crisis and are now “taking pride in being ingobernable” and constructing a different future and governance for Puerto Rico.

Aurora Santiago-Ortiz and Jorell Meléndez-Badillo. “Puerto Rico’s Multiple Solidarities: Emergent Landscapes and the Geographies of Protest.” Radical History Review, July 22, 2019.

Summary
The authors analyze how the “simmering anger” of colonial exploitation led to multiple solidarities articulated during the summer mobilizations. Going beyond the demand for the governor’s resignation, they argue that the movement is better understood as “an assemblage of desires, discontents, and demands” from a plurality of sectors. The authors suggest that the summer 2019 articulation of multiple solidarities between traditional and non-traditional protestors may shape new possibilities for political agency.

Alejandra Rosa, Patricia Mazzei, Jason Kao and Weiyi Cai. “The Faces of Protest in Puerto Rico.” The New York Times, July 22, 2019.

Summary
This article profiles diverse protestors who joined the hundreds of thousands marching in San Juan in late July. Protesters share what brought them to the march and their broader grievances that unites them in the movement.

Joel Cintrón Arbasetti. “La generación del “yo no me dejo” exige la renuncia de Ricardo Rosselló.” Centro de Periodismo Investigativo, July 21, 2019.

Summary
The author reflects on the organizational and generational characteristics of the #RickyRenuncia movement. He argues that the lack of mass organizational power among civil society organizations gave way to “the multitudes” aligning in the same end goal, but organizing themselves in organic, fragmented, and unpredictable ways. The movement is also a significant marker in the political formation of the younger “yo no me dejo” generation protagonists, who will shape the future of politics in Puerto Rico.

Tatum Dooley. “Protesters in Puerto Rico Are Using Makeup to Make a Political Statement.” Teen Vogue, July 18, 2019.

Summary
This article discusses the creative use of body art and makeup during the #RickyRenuncia protests as both bodily expression and a tool to draw attention.

Charo Henríquez, “Puerto Rico Protesters Got Creative: Dancing, Singing, Diving…” The New York Times, July 24, 2019.

Summary
This article explores a central characteristic of the summer mobilizations–the creative and unconventional forms of protest such as scuba diving, acrobatics, motorcycling, kayaking, yoga, and horseback riding.

Sebastián Narvaez Núñez and Juan Carlos Ríos. “Lo que deberíamos aprender de la revolución artística en Puerto Rico.” Vice, July 26, 2019.

Summary
Music can be a critical tool for social and political mobilization. Many artists, such as  Residente Calle 13, Bad Bunny, Daddy Yankee, Anuel, and Farruko spoke out against Ricardo Roselló. For instance, Bad Bunny paused his music tour and recordings for his new album in order to attend and promote what would be a massive march of more than 100,000 people demanding Ricardo Roselló’s resignation. This article discusses how Bad Bunny and other artists were integral to the movement since they mobilized many people who wouldn’t normally form part of political protests. Furthermore, their platform on social media was crucial for the dissemination of information regarding the protests. Ultimately, they propelled the unity of Puerto Ricans.

Anilyn Díaz Hernández. “Del meme a una revolución del Siglo 21” 80grados, August 9, 2019.

Summary
The author reviews the cultural history of “memes” and argues that creative meme use during the summer mobilizations were the symptoms of the governance crisis and lack of credibility. Furthermore, the author argues that the movement is emblematic of what sociologist Buenaventura De Sousa Santos calls “21st century revolution.”

Perez-Rivera, Danilo T., Christopher Torres-Lugo, and Alexis R. Santos-Lozada. “Engaging for Puerto Rico:# RickyRenuncia (and #RickySeQueda) during El Verano del 19 and digital identities.” SocArXiv, August 13, 2019.

Summary
This study examines social media’s role during the summer protests and the “digital revolution” engagement with #RickyRenuncia and the small counter movement #RickySeQueda. The study analyzes the population characteristics and structures of both social media mobilizations and their broader implications. The authors findings suggest the significance of the global diaspora’s digital participation, which contributed to “40% of all geo-located tweets.”

State Violence

Marisol LeBrón and Mari Mari Narváez. “Rosselló’s Gone, But Puerto Rico’s Fight Against Police Repression Continues.” NACLA, July 26, 2019.

Summary
During the #RickyRenuncia protests, police near Fortaleza would declare the Constitution ineffective at a certain point during the night and violently disperse protestors. This article addresses the systemic roots of police violence during moments of crisis and police impunity.

Kilómetro Cero. “Documentación preliminar de intervenciones y casos de uso de fuerza de la Policía de Puerto Rico durante manifestaciones jornada #RickyRenuncia.”

Summary
This report documents the 52 known cases of demonstrators impacted by police use of force during the #RickyRenuncia protests. The report provides evidence for each case, including protestors’ testimonies and media reports, and is a “living” document to be updated as new cases surface.

Hugo J. Delgado-Martí, “La noche es pa’l combate.” Bandera Roja, July 23, 2019.

Summary
Primarily late at night, protesters in San Juan were victims of police violence, including attacks from pepper spray, tear gas, rubber bullets, and baton hits. This article explains that the combative resistance responds to this state violence and demands the same amount of respect that is typically given to peaceful forms of resistance.

Feminist and LGBTQ+ Catalyst

Luci Cavallero y Verónica Gago. “Deuda, perreo y destitución: La trama feminista y queer en Puerto Rico.” Página 12, August 9, 2019.

Summary
One of the things that the leaked chats revealed was the way that the ex-governor, Ricardo Roselló, scoffed at La Colectiva Feminista en Contrucción, an integral feminist activist group in Puerto Rico. Through an interview with some of its members, Shariana Ferrer Núñez and Rocío Zambrana, this article provides an in-depth look at the organization’s ideals, strategies, and campaigns. With a black, feminist, queer, and anti-colonial framework, this group has spearheaded campaigns such as “Nosotras contra la deud” (“Women Against the Debt”), “Embargo feminista” (“Feminist Embargo”), and “Plantón Contra la Violencia Machista” (“Plantón Against Misogynist Violence”). This group has been protesting and planting seeds in Puerto Ricans’ political unconscious way before the revolutionary summer, a movement in which they formed part of the vanguard.

Ed Morales. “Feminists and LGBTQ Activists Are Leading the Insurrection in Puerto Rico.” The Nation, August 2, 2019.

Summary
This article provides insight regarding the role of nationalism and the question of sovereignty in the summer’s revolution. Unlike other nationalisms that have been celebrated in the archipelago, this summer was marked by an intersectional nationalism. This new perspective is owed largely to the queer community and particularly to the feminist activist group La Colectiva Feminista en Construcción, the “leading edge of Puerto Rico’s people-power mobilization.”

Beatriz Llenín Figueroa. “Las cimarronas no mueren, nosotras no morimos.” Ahora la turba, July 27, 2019. English version.

Summary
Part of what the Telegram chat revealed was the political class of entitled, moneyed, white men and their hatred for the archipelago, a form of discrimination that is deeply rooted in the Caribbeans history of colonization. This article links this perspective with neoliberalism–an ideology of privatization, government deregulation, and endlessly increasing debt for “development.” However, many organizations and communities in Puerto Rico are “shaping profound and diverse sovereignties.”

Gabriela Martínez. “Activists see Rosselló’s resignation as step for women’s rights in Puerto Rico.” PBS, July 26, 2019.

Summary
Although the naming of Wanda Vázquez as governor seems to be a step in the right direction for women’s issues (she was secretary of justice and the former director of the government’s Women’s Advocacy Office), many activists point out her lack of attention to gender violence issues and they question the ethics of her inaction as secretary of justice. This article discusses gender violence in Puerto Rico and how groups, such as La Colectiva Feminista en Construcción, have been pushing for a state of emergency to be declared.

Sandra Guzmán, “Meet the Women Leading Puerto Rico’s Feminist Revolution.” Shondaland, August 9, 2019.

Summary
Before the Ricky Renuncia movement, Puerto Rican women had been protesting and calling out the former governor for not declaring a state of emergency or taking any action to address the high rates of gender-based violence. This article discusses the legacy of women-led protests in Puerto Rico, which includes people such as Luisa Capetillo and Julia de Burgos. Some of the inheritors of this legacy are interviewed in this article: Shariana Ferrer from La Colectiva Feminista en Construcción, Sandra Rodríguez Cotto, an independent investigative journalist, Pluma Barbara Moreno, an indigenous activist, Adriana Santoni, a drummer and founder of Plena Combativa, among others.

Video: “The Women Leading The Puerto Rico Protests.” Vice, July 20, 2019.

Summary
In this video, Vice interviews a group of women activists from different backgrounds and affiliations who had been protesting for days in front of the Governor’s mansion. They discuss the reasons for the massive mobilization, the varied sectors that united for the recent protests, and the citizens’ new exercise of democracy. Manuel Natal is also interviewed, who mentions the government’s corruption, conspirations, and inaction.

Jhoni Jackson. “How San Juan’s Queer Scene Joined the Ricky Rosselló Protests With a Ball.” Jezebel, July 26, 2019.

Summary
This article describes one of the protests during the summer’s revolution, which was in the form of the Renuncia Ball (“Resignation Ball”), which took place in a plaza turned stage, about two blocks from the Governor’s Mansion. The newly formed Haus of Resistance, which rapidly grew to include more than 100 people, drew a huge crowd. They inspired the onlookers to join them in their chants, such as “Soy pata, soy puta, pero nunca corrupta” (“I’m a queer, I’m a slut, but never corrupt!”).

Yoryie Irizarry. “Paro Nacional, Perreo y Antonio Pantojas.” 80 Grados, August 16, 2019.

Summary
This article recalls Antonio Pantojas, a Puerto Rican actor who often performed dressed in drag and who demanded in an interview “Where is my place in the revolution?” in order to meditate on the role of the LGBTQ+ community in the recent mobilization. This community was called upon to protest not only due to the suffering they share with all Puerto Ricans, but also due to its particular positionality: they had just survived a battle against Ricardo Rosellós alliance with the hateful religious right, the chat revealed the government’s rampant homophobia, etc. The summer’s mobilization was added to this community’s long legacy of protests.

Yarimar Bonilla. “Meet the Women Who Toppled Puerto Rico’s Governor.” MTV News, August 2, 2019.

Summary
This article discusses various women who played central roles in catalyzing the summer’s mobilization. For instance, independent women reporters and the women-led Center for Investigative Journalism are responsible for the revelation of the Telegram chats. The Colectiva Feminista en Construcción was the first group to call a protest against Ricardo Roselló after the chat was made public and they were the first to stage “cacerolazos.” This article also provides information about multiple women who protested in creative ways.

Diasporic Solidarity

Yara Simón. “Boricuas Took Over Grand Central In a Glorious Musical Protest of Governor Ricardo Rosselló.” Remezcla, July 23, 2019.

Summary
Puerto Ricans in the archipelago were not the only ones protesting during the national strike day on July 22, 2019. In New York, hundreds marched in diasporic solidarity from Columbus Circle to Grand Central Station, where they gathered to chant and dance.

Frankie Graziano. “Connecticut’s Puerto Rican Diaspora Joins ‘Ricky Renuncia’ Protests.” VPR, July 24, 2019.

Summary
This article highlights Hartford, Connecticut’s diaspora protest, where a few dozen people gathered in front of a Walgreens to march and chant along in solidarity with those in San Juan calling for “Ricky renuncia y llévate a la Junta.”

Andrew Boryga. “Florida’s Puerto Ricans push for change, even beyond Gov. Ricardo Rosselló’s resignation.” South Florida Sun Sentinel, July 25, 2019.

Summary
Diaspora solidarity protests took place across Florida in cities such as Miami, Orlando, Palm Beach, and Ocala. This article documents Florida protestors’ voices, bringing out some of the complexities of exile/displacement, solidarity, and the role of a diaspora voting constituency to promote change beyond the summer mobilizations.

Noralis Rodríguez Coss. “El poder de la protesta y las consignas sanadoras de la diáspora.” 80 grados, August 2, 1019.

Summary
The author draws on her personal experience participating in protests in San Juan and Seattle, Washington to reflect on the affective and community-building aspects of unifying in protest. She argues that protests and collective chants are a form of “radical healing,”or actions  that promote dignity and respect.

“PR y el mundo exige: Ricky Renuncia.” Google Maps, 2019.

Summary
This map marks locations of the trans-continental #RickyRenuncia protests and manifestations as reported on social media.

Making History

Gerardo Alvardo León. “Marcha del pueblo: Puerto Rico clama la renuncia del gobernador Ricardo Rosselló.” El Nuevo Día, July 22, 2019.

Summary
This article documents the July 22, 2019 “Marcha del Pueblo,” where between 500,000 – 1 million Puerto Ricans marched along the Las Américas Expressway demanding the resignation of Ricardo Rosselló, who was still hanging on to power at the time. It was the largest march in Puerto Rico’s modern history, organically organized on social media and supported by artists, the labor movement and other civil society organizations.

Patricia Vélez Santiago. “Ricardo Rosselló renuncia a la gobernación de Puerto Rico tras dos semanas de intensas protestas en su contra,” Univisión, July 25, 2019.

Summary
Close to midnight on July 24, 2019, Ricardo Rosselló’s office released a video statement announcing his resignation to be effective on August 2. This article reviews the process that led to his resignation and includes videos of Rosselló’s official resignation statement and the euphoric reactions from protesters in the streets of Old San Juan who gathered to hear the message and celebrate.

Frances Robles and Alejandra Rosa. “The People Can’t Take It Anymore’: Puerto Rico Erupts in a Day of Protests.” The New York Times, July 22, 2019.

Summary
On July 21st Rosselló said that he would step down from the leadership of his party and pledged not to run for re-election in 2020. However, what followed was a historic march that called on his immediate resignation. This article discusses how Puerto Rico’s recent unrest may lead to a “seismic shift in the domestic power structure” since the protests reveal a lack of faith in the two main political parties. In addition to questioning those who will govern Puerto Rico, protesters question the archipelago’s relationship to the United States and the laws that mediate it.

“Los ojos del mundo están sobre Puerto Rico.” Noticel, July 25, 2019.

Summary
By popular demand, Puerto Rico successfully forced Ricardo Roselló to resign and this can serve as an example to other communities’ struggles against corrupt governments. This article provides various examples of artists and people across the world that expressed solidarity and admiration towards Puerto Rico’s movement.

Marea Socialista and Liga Internacional Socialista (LIS). “Puerto Rico: Una revolución democrática que es ejemplo para toda la región.” Aporrea, July 27, 2019.

Summary
This article describes Puerto Rico’s democratic revolution and its autonomous mobilization as a popular and worker victory that serves as an example for the entire region of Latin America. This movement is compared to the one in 2000, which had the expulsion of the US marines from Vieques as its objective. Although the summer’s events culminated in success, this article includes a list of demands that Puerto Ricans are continuing to fight for.

Colonial Loopholes and Power Struggles

Ricardo Cortés Chico. “Pedro Pierluisi asume las riendas del país como gobernador.” El Nuevo Día, August 2, 2019.

Summary
Far from bringing an end to the time of political unrest, Pedro Pierluisi’s naming as Puerto Rico’s governor brought new constitutional controversies and reinvigorated protests. Various politicians, such as Jennifer González, Thomas Rivera Schatz, Carmen Yulín Cruz, and Edaurdo Bhatia, have expressed their opposition to his naming as governor. Some of them stated that they would challenge Pierluisi’s naming through the court system. This article provides the opinions of those who oppose Pierluisi as governor, of the protestors, and of Pierluisi himself, who defends his position.

Ferdinand Mercado. “¿Procede la ratificación o la impugnación de Pierluisi?” El Nuevo Día, August 3, 2019.

Summary
Three days before resigning, Ricardo Roselló organized an extraordinary assembly of the Legislative Branch which would solely discuss the naming of Pedro Pierluisi as Secretary of State. Due to inaction on the part of the legislature, Puerluisi was named Governor via the Law 7 from 2005. This law about succession contains an exception which states that, in the case of vacancy, the Secretary of State does not require the consent of the House and the Senate in order to occupy the position of Governor. However, Pierluisi stated, after already being sworn in, that he wants to be ratified as Governor by both bodies–the House and the Senate. This article discusses the state of constitutional uncertainty which was exacerbated by the Senate’s lack of haste and by errors in the creation of the law of succession.

“Rosselló firmó 66 leyes antes de renunciar.” El Vocero, August 6, 2019.

Summary
Ricardo Roselló announced his resignation at midnight on July 24th, but abandoned his term on August 2nd. In that period of time, he signed 66 laws–58 of which were signed on the very last day of his term. These laws were signed hidden from the public eye and some of them precisely concern the State’s obligations in regards to making its decisions and actions publicly available. This article discusses these laws, which limit constitutional rights to access to information and the freedom of the press.

“Lee las opiniones de los jueces del Tribunal Supremo en el caso Senado v. Pedro Pierluisi.” El Nuevo Día, August 7, 2019.

Summary
Puerto Rico’s Supreme Court decided that the Law 7 was unconstitutional and, therefore, Pedro Pierluisi swearing-in as governor was unconstitutional. This article includes the Supreme Court’s sentence.

Jonathan Levin. “Man Claiming to Be Puerto Rico’s Governor Will Let Courts Decide.” Bloomberg. August 4, 2019.

Summary
As the article’s title reveals, Pedro Pierluisi’s governance and the “constitutionally fuzzy secret ceremony” through which he was sworn in, are clouded by illegitimacy. Due to debates about Puerto Rico’s succession laws and their constitutionality, the archipelago’s court system will decide if he’s the rightful governor.

Eva Prados Rodríguez. “No es tiempo para decisiones a la ligera.” El Vocero, August 8, 2019.

Summary
As the country debates who the next governor should be, this article reminds us that this is not a decision that should be made lightly. The next governor, who will be in office for a year and a half, will be part of one of the most important moments in Puerto Rico’s history: the approval of the plan for debt readjustment. This plan will determine the use of public funds for the next four decades. According to the author, the governor should defend Puerto Rican citizens and their essential services over the payment of debt and the demands of the Fiscal Control Board.

Jessica Rodríguez. “Ricky Renunció. What’s next for Puerto Rico?” Llero, August 23, 2019.

Summary
Although Puerto Rico’s unrest has left the headlines, this article provides a recap of the “political theatre” that continued: Pedro Pierluisi’s term lasted five days and Wanda Vazquez, who was next in line, is named governor, despite having stated that she had no interest in political office. Furthermore, protesters started using the hashtag #WandaRenuncia, Puerto Rican citizens are organizing in town assemblies, and feminist groups are calling for a state of emergency.

Ana Campoy. “What’s Next For Puerto Rico?” Quartz, July 25, 2019.

Summary
After Ricardo Roselló’s resignation and Wanda Vázquez’s imminent leadership, this article discusses the possible futures of Puerto Rican politics. Considering protestors’ condemnation of “La Junta” and their shift to “Wanda Renuncia,” Puerto Rico seems to be at a turning point. Will the summer’s uprising move the island past the static, two-party system? Will recent developments be hindered by Congress providing The Fiscal Oversight Board more power?

Eugenio García Cuevas. “Protestas y nueva gobernadora.” 80grados, August 16, 2019.

Summary
This article summarizes the changes in political power after the people succeeded in forcing Ricardo Roselló to resign: After Pedro Pierluisi’s “bad luck” due to his association with the ex-governor and his constitutional mishap, Wanda Vázquez became governor. Vázquez faces criticism from the people and her party. This article discusses the varying rationales for critiques against Vázquez, but also suggests that these critiques be accompanied by specific demands.

From Autogestion to Autoconvocado

A people's assembly gathered on a city corner at dusk to discuss changes in governance

Julio Ricardo Varela. “At Puerto Rico protests, Ricky Martin and Bad Bunny joined the ‘Ricky renuncia’ fight. Here’s why.” NBC, July 22, 2019.

Summary
The Ricky Renuncia Movement would not have been possible without the political truths that Hurricane María brought to the surface. Furthermore, the article also identifies the decades of a corrupt (mostly white, mostly privileged) political class, as well as the debt crisis and the consequent installment of the Fiscal Oversight Board, as other sources that made Puerto Ricans lose faith in the political process. However, Puerto Ricans have grown stronger and more united out of necessity.

Benjamín Torres Gotay. “Ciudadanos se reúnen en asambleas de pueblo y reclaman nueva gobernanza.” El Nuevo Día, August 17, 2019.

Summary
Summoned by no one in particular, through various WhatsApp groups and by searching for the hashtag #AsambleaDePueblo, Puerto Ricans started meeting in “asambleas de pueblo” or town assemblies. These meetings have taken place across the island. This article discusses the varied topics that are covered in these assemblies, where people are inspired to continue challenging, through collaboration, the political class that they feel doesn’t care about them. The summer’s successful movement left Puerto Ricans empowered.

Patricia Mazzei and Alejandra Rosa. “Hurricane Maria, 2 Years Later: ‘We Want Another Puerto Rico.’” The New York Times, September 20, 2019.

Summary
People outside labor unions, political parties, and activist groups are organizing in what they call “auto-gestión,” or self-management. This grass-roots, civic activism is the culmination of what Hurricane Maríá revealed: the Puerto Rican government is a failed state but survival is possible through solidarity and community. This article discusses how many Puerto Ricans still feel the effects of Hurricane María’s disaster and it is this governmental abandonment that inspires town assemblies where people get together to imagine what Puerto Rico’s future could look like.

Cyndi Suarez. “After Deposing the Governor, Puerto Ricans Shift Attention to Popular Democracy.” NonProfit Quarterly, September 11, 2019.

Summary
After successfully forcing Ricardo Roselló to resign, Puerto Ricans are debating how to harness their newly acquired power in town assemblies. The assemblies practice different models, however, they “share common principles of inclusivity, horizontality, and openness.” They are moving towards creating working groups, designing and implementing action plans, and organizing workshops to educate people on participatory democracy. This article describes this as a process of appropriating democracy.

Jacqueline Villarrubia-Mendoza and Roberto Vélez-Vélez. Puerto Rican People’s Assemblies Shift from Protest to Proposal. NACLA, August 20, 2019.

Summary
This article provides details about specific assemblies–their organization style and the topics discussed–thereby showing their diversity. The people who participate in the “asambleas de pueblo” are also varied: “ a significant number of participants are new to the scene, making for a space of innovation and experimentation within the democratic exercise.” Furthermore, these assemblies insist that they are not spaces to be co-opted by political parties, but, instead, they are for members of civil society as private individuals.

Elizabeth E. Martínez-Vega. “¿Y ahora qué?” 80grados, October 4, 2019.

Summary
After the Ricardo Rosellós resignation, the people witnessed Pedro Pierluisi’s 5 days as governor, where he went from savior to leader of a coup d’état. Afterward, it was “business as usual:” Wanda Vázquez was sworn in, hands over the bible, dressed in blue, and promising to combat the corruption for which she claims she was not a part of. However, this article discusses the “pivot” that occurred afterward: the people occupied public plazas in order to continue the work of imagining another country.

#RickyRenuncia Multimedia

Felix Contraras. “Afilando Los Cuchillos’ Soundtracks Puerto Rico’s Social Movement In Real Time.” NPR, July 25, 2019.

Summary
This Alt.Latino podcast episode “explores the motivations behind “Afilando Los Chuchillos,” how it influenced some of the protesters as well as an attempt to put all the threads together to get an accurate picture of this critical point in time in Puerto Rico’s history.”

Yarimar Bonilla’s recommended Podcast Twitter thread. July 27, 2019.

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