Just as a disclaimer; I am not a journalist, nor a political analyst (although it was my dream back in high school), I am just writing as a citizen. My views may not be as profound or as extensive, and probably biased based on various news reports and coverage at this very moment.

Puerto Rico, the land I call my home, is going through political turmoil. In the midst of Federal investigations in the current government, where there have been 6 arrests the past week for corruption (which includes the former Secretary of Education and the former Director of the island welfare plan ASES), and the resignation of the Secretary of Treasury due to expressions of “a mafia” in this government office, there is now a leak of a Telegram chat in which the governor and his trustworthy colleagues, including the Secretary of State which resigned yesterday, shared conflicting, highly offensive, misogynist comments including information manipulation towards government agencies and the press. In a press conference prior to the 899 telegram leak, the governor Ricardo Rosello apologized, but indicated that he would not resign his elected position. This has caused Puerto Ricans here, and in the diaspora to be angered, disappointed, disgusted, saddened, ashamed, outraged and any other feeling associated to the word “vergüenza”.

I personally did not vote for the current governor. Ricardo Rosello was elected governor with the 42% majority vote in 2016, where there were 5 other potential candidates. He is the son of previous ex-governor Pedro Rosello (1992-2000) which previous government was known as well for political corruption, having around 40 trusted employees and members of his Cabinet federally accused and convicted.

He was one of the faces seen during Hurricane Maria, where many of us suffered and still suffer to this day the beating of the storm (many people still have FEMA canopies as their roof to this day). Now it is known in this chat, that behind the scenes of empathy, we were being constantly ridiculed, robbed and manipulated.

Since his message on Thursday, people have been protesting in front of the Governor’s residence in Old San Juan, explicitly demanding his resignation due to the chat scandal and corruption within his government cabinet. Members of his political party, especially the women represented in such, has expressed their outrage toward the revelations of the compromising content in this chat.

As every Puerto Rican living in our island, and in the diaspora, I personally feel outraged and ashamed that this is happening. All eyes are on us, from the Oversight Board to the Federal Government, and we are clearly judged due to our government’s action. I consider that our funds destined towards the island, from hereon, would be seriously monitored and limited due to this collateral damage, which as a consequence, will put our most vulnerable people in even a more dire position than ever before. This is truly disheartening.

It is imperative that we should aspire our children towards leadership and change in our island. My calling as a teacher truly believes that they are our future and they are our only hope to improve our well being. I believe that we need a leader who has our island’s best interest, which it is clear that our current governor doesn’t have. I believe that my children and my students need a positive role model in the government, which I consider it hasn’t happened in the past 40 years (yes, that long).

As a citizen, a woman, a teacher and a mom, I consider that the governor should resign his position. There is no way that I consider that this damage towards our island can be fixed.