- Title: Puerto Rico governor's pick for successor faces opposition
- Date: 31st July 2019
- Summary: SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO, UNITED STATES (JULY 31, 2019) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FORMER PUERTO RICO INDEPENDENCE PARTY SENATOR, MARÃA DE LOURDES SANTIAGO, SAYING: "I think it's a great show of sarcasm. A leading slogan right now, 'Ricky, step down, and give yourself to the [Financial Oversight] Board.' And the outgoing governor has left us with the financial oversight board's lawyer, under the totally false premise that it's better that figure that is less offensive than other possible candidates before the public eye. But if anything is clear, it's that the high leadership of the party that promotes stability in Puerto Rico is a criminal organization, in which there are only puppets and puppeteers, people who allow themselves to be managed controlled, but there's no will for service. There's no good faith, and that is all what is represented by the naming of Mr. Pierluisi." PENSION PROTESTERS HOLDING SIGNS PEOPLE WALKING IN MALL (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SAN JUAN RESIDENT, WILLIAM PEREZ, SAYING: "I think that Pierluisi, and anyone who occupies the position of governor in Puerto Rico, which will be the official position, ought to have the capacity to confront the financial oversight board. And it seems there's a serious conflict there, because Pierluisi is one of the people who have had favorable treatment by the board, and that demonstrates that among the leadership of the PNP, there's no one who doesn't have skeletons in their closet. So, it seems they are all disqualified from occupying that position." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN MALL (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PUERTO RICO CITIZEN, MARGARITA HENRRICY, SAYING: "We understand that yes, there are people who are able to do the work, but really the ones they want are from their own group, and no one else, so to be able to continue manipulating the people. But at this time, we really aren't going to just leave it to them. We are going to continue with this fight, and well they have to put forward a person who will truly work for our rights. We are the people, and it's really us who choose them, not for them to work for themselves, which is what they've done until now." VARIOUS OF PUERTO RICO STATE DEPARTMENT VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN SQUARE
- Embargoed: 14th August 2019 19:12
- Keywords: Governor Ricardo Rosselló Pedro Pierluisi protests
- Location: SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO, UNITED STATES / INTERNET
- City: SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO, UNITED STATES / INTERNET
- Country: Puerto Rico
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA003AQ412RR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Puerto Rico's outgoing Governor Ricardo Rosselló on Wednesday (July 31) formally nominated the island's former nonvoting representative in the U.S. Congress, Pedro Pierluisi, as secretary of state, which would position him to take over the government if he is confirmed by lawmakers.
The announcement came two days before the island's top executive plans to bow to the demands of protesters and resign.
Some members of Rosselló's party as well as citizens polled by Reuters voiced opposition to the pick, citing Pierluisi's role advising the federally created financial oversight board overseeing the island's bankruptcy, which is highly unpopular with Puerto Rico residents.
Anger over the bankruptcy, the handling of back-to-back 2017 hurricanes that killed some 3,000 people, the filing of federal corruption charges against two former administration officials and the publication of profane chat messages between Rosselló and his close advisers sparked nearly two weeks of street protests this month demanding his ouster.
To be confirmed, Pierluisi will need votes that equate to a majority of the 51 members of the Puerto Rico House and of the 27 senators. Lawmakers are expected to vote on Thursday in a special session Rosselló called when he made the nomination.
Pierluisi said his goal is to transform the energy shown by Puerto Ricans into constructive actions.
Replacing the first-term governor became complicated after Secretary of State Luis Rivera Marin, who would have been first in line to assume the office, resigned on July 13 because of his participation in the group chat. Afterward, the second in line for the top government post, Secretary of Justice Wanda Vázquez, said she did not want the position.
As of Tuesday (July 30), Pierluisi was on a leave of absence from his job as a corporate lawyer for O'Neill & Borges. He previously served as Puerto Rico's attorney general and the territory's nonvoting representative in Congress from 2008 to 2016. He unsuccessfully ran against Rosselló in the 2016 primary for governor. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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