Embattled Puerto Rico governor says to step down

Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello. [File Photo: VCG]

Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello said late Wednesday that he's resigning amid public anger over obscenity-laced online chats involving him and his aides.

In a statement, the governor said that he would step down on Aug. 2.

Rossello, 40, is the first governor to resign in the modern history of Puerto Rico, a territory with 3.2 million U.S. citizens that is still recovering from a catastrophic hurricane two years ago.

Protests broke out in Puerto Rico earlier this month after the leak of hundreds of pages of text chats on a messaging App in which Rossello and other male administration members made vulgar, sexist and inappropriate comments.

He is also under scrutiny after contractors and government officials of the island were arrested recently on corruption charges.

Rossello announced on Sunday that he won't seek re-election in 2020 and that he's also resigning from his position as president of his political party.

The island's Secretary of Justice Wanda Vazquez will become the new governor.