1 00:00:00,033 --> 00:00:00,966 >> Sreenivasan: FOR MORE ON 2 00:00:00,966 --> 00:00:02,333 PUERTO RICO, I'M JOINED NOW BY 3 00:00:02,333 --> 00:00:03,766 "WASHINGTON POST" REPORTER 4 00:00:03,766 --> 00:00:04,900 ARELIS HERNANDEZ VIA SKYPE. 5 00:00:04,900 --> 00:00:06,133 SO TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT 6 00:00:06,133 --> 00:00:08,000 WHAT WAS THE TIPPING POINT, WHY 7 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:09,500 DID THESE PROTESTS EMERGE 8 00:00:09,500 --> 00:00:11,666 THIS WEEK? 9 00:00:11,666 --> 00:00:14,100 >> SO PUERTO RICO HAS BEEN GOING 10 00:00:14,100 --> 00:00:16,000 THROUGH QUITE A BIT OF DRAMA 11 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:17,166 HISTORICALLY IN THE LAST SEVERAL 12 00:00:17,166 --> 00:00:18,633 YEARS, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH 13 00:00:18,633 --> 00:00:19,766 HAVING TO DO TWO YEARS AGO WITH 14 00:00:19,766 --> 00:00:21,100 HURRICANE MARIA. 15 00:00:21,100 --> 00:00:22,166 SO THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF 16 00:00:22,166 --> 00:00:23,533 SUFFERING ACCUMULATED. 17 00:00:23,533 --> 00:00:24,700 BUT WHAT REALLY SORT OF TIPPED 18 00:00:24,700 --> 00:00:26,566 THE SCALES FOR FOLKS WAS A 19 00:00:26,566 --> 00:00:29,166 SERIES OF LEAKED TEXTS THAT CAME 20 00:00:29,166 --> 00:00:31,166 THROUGH THE LOCAL INVESTIGATIVE 21 00:00:31,166 --> 00:00:33,633 JOURNALISM HERE IN PUERTO RICO 22 00:00:33,633 --> 00:00:35,500 IN WHICH SEVERAL JOKES WERE MADE 23 00:00:35,500 --> 00:00:38,200 BETWEEN THE GOVERNOR RICARDO 24 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:39,633 ROSSELLO AND MEMBERS OF HIS 25 00:00:39,633 --> 00:00:40,900 INNER CIRCLE, WHICH INCLUDE 26 00:00:40,900 --> 00:00:42,000 LOBBYISTS AND FRIENDS AND 27 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:43,233 GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS JOKING 28 00:00:43,233 --> 00:00:45,900 ABOUT VARIOUS THINGS, AMONG THEM 29 00:00:45,900 --> 00:00:48,133 THE CADAVERS OF PEOPLE WHO HAD 30 00:00:48,133 --> 00:00:50,466 DIED DURING HURRICANE MARIA AND 31 00:00:50,466 --> 00:00:52,100 THE BODIES SORT OF PILING UP IN 32 00:00:52,100 --> 00:00:53,466 THE MORGUE. 33 00:00:53,466 --> 00:00:54,866 THEY JOKED ABOUT THAT, AND THAT 34 00:00:54,866 --> 00:00:56,133 IN AND OF ITSELF IS WHAT SET 35 00:00:56,133 --> 00:00:57,400 PEOPLE OFF. 36 00:00:57,400 --> 00:00:58,233 >> Sreenivasan: AND THIS WAS 37 00:00:58,233 --> 00:00:59,066 RIGHT ON THE HEELS ON AN F.B.I. 38 00:00:59,066 --> 00:01:01,333 INVESTIGATION WHERE THERE WERE 39 00:01:01,333 --> 00:01:02,766 ALLEGATIONS AGAINST SOME OF 40 00:01:02,766 --> 00:01:04,500 HIS, WHAT, MEMBERS OF THE 41 00:01:04,500 --> 00:01:06,366 INNER CIRCLE? 42 00:01:06,366 --> 00:01:07,733 >> RIGHT, NO, HE ACTUALLY HAD TO 43 00:01:07,733 --> 00:01:09,833 END HIS EUROPEAN VACATION EARLY 44 00:01:09,833 --> 00:01:11,433 AND COME BACK TO PUERTO RICO 45 00:01:11,433 --> 00:01:12,833 BECAUSE TWO TOP MEMBERS, 46 00:01:12,833 --> 00:01:15,133 INCLUDING THE EDUCATION 47 00:01:15,133 --> 00:01:17,000 SECRETARY, WERE INDICTED AND 48 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:18,633 ARRESTED BY THE F.B.I. 49 00:01:18,633 --> 00:01:20,233 ON CORRUPTION CHARGES, INCLUDING 50 00:01:20,233 --> 00:01:21,266 MONEY LAUNDERING. 51 00:01:21,266 --> 00:01:22,466 BASICALLY THEY ARE BEING ACCUSED 52 00:01:22,466 --> 00:01:24,666 OF HAVING STEERED BILLIONS... 53 00:01:24,666 --> 00:01:26,366 MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FEDERAL 54 00:01:26,366 --> 00:01:28,066 AID TO SPECIFIC PREFERRED 55 00:01:28,066 --> 00:01:31,700 CANDIDATES IN CONTRACTS. 56 00:01:31,700 --> 00:01:32,633 >> Sreenivasan: YOU MENTIONED 57 00:01:32,633 --> 00:01:33,966 HURRICANE MARIA, AND YOU HAVE 58 00:01:33,966 --> 00:01:35,433 BEEN REPORTING ON THIS EVER 59 00:01:35,433 --> 00:01:36,966 SINCE THE STORM. 60 00:01:36,966 --> 00:01:38,766 BUT YOU JUST WERE OUT THERE 61 00:01:38,766 --> 00:01:40,000 REPORTING OVER THIS PAST 62 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:41,133 WEEK AND YOU WERE TALKING TO 63 00:01:41,133 --> 00:01:43,500 PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T HAVE POWER 64 00:01:43,500 --> 00:01:46,000 OR WATER FOR MONTHS. 65 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:48,300 >> YEAH, NO, I THINK THAT'S 66 00:01:48,300 --> 00:01:49,533 PART OF WHAT HAS UPSET PEOPLE SO 67 00:01:49,533 --> 00:01:52,233 MUCH IS THAT TO SEE, SORT OF 68 00:01:52,233 --> 00:01:55,300 HAVE A REAL LOOK AT WHAT THE 69 00:01:55,300 --> 00:01:56,666 GOVERNOR AND HIS INNER CIRCLE 70 00:01:56,666 --> 00:01:58,000 WERE THINKING AND TALKED ABOUT 71 00:01:58,000 --> 00:01:59,833 WHILE PEOPLE WERE SUFFERING IN 72 00:01:59,833 --> 00:02:01,166 PUERTO RICO. 73 00:02:01,166 --> 00:02:03,900 AND TO THEM IT'S AN INDIFFERENCE 74 00:02:03,900 --> 00:02:05,500 TO THEIR SUFFERING. 75 00:02:05,500 --> 00:02:06,400 >> Sreenivasan: TELL ME A LITTLE 76 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:07,933 BIT ABOUT WHAT SORT OF SUPPORT 77 00:02:07,933 --> 00:02:09,633 NOW THAT THE GOVERNOR STILL HAS. 78 00:02:09,633 --> 00:02:11,166 BECAUSE HERE ON THE MAINLAND WE 79 00:02:11,166 --> 00:02:13,733 ARE SEEING LOTS OF DEMOCRATIC 80 00:02:13,733 --> 00:02:15,266 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES AND 81 00:02:15,266 --> 00:02:17,666 OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PARTY 82 00:02:17,666 --> 00:02:19,666 DISTANCING THEMSELVES FROM HIM. 83 00:02:19,666 --> 00:02:20,933 >> RIGHT, THE GOVERNOR RIGHT NOW 84 00:02:20,933 --> 00:02:22,600 HAS VERY LITTLE SUPPORT ACROSS 85 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:25,333 PUERTO RICO FROM POLITICS TO 86 00:02:25,333 --> 00:02:26,900 BUSINESS PEOPLE HAVE BEEN 87 00:02:26,900 --> 00:02:28,333 CALLING FOR HIM TO RESIGN, 88 00:02:28,333 --> 00:02:29,800 MEMBERS OF HIS OWN PARTY, 89 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:30,966 JENNIFFER GONZALEZ, WHO'S 90 00:02:30,966 --> 00:02:32,266 THE RESIDENT COMMISSIONER, WHICH 91 00:02:32,266 --> 00:02:34,000 IS PUERTO RICO'S REPRESENTATIVE 92 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:35,900 IN THE HOUSE, BASICALLY ASKED 93 00:02:35,900 --> 00:02:38,633 HIM TO RESIGN ALSO THIS WEEK. 94 00:02:38,633 --> 00:02:40,366 I'M GUESSING HIS FAMILY IS STILL 95 00:02:40,366 --> 00:02:41,366 BEHIND HIM. 96 00:02:41,366 --> 00:02:42,833 HE STILL HAS A FEW SUPPORTERS IN 97 00:02:42,833 --> 00:02:44,733 THE PARTY, BUT THE LEGISLATURE 98 00:02:44,733 --> 00:02:45,966 RIGHT NOW IS ACTIVELY LOOKING 99 00:02:45,966 --> 00:02:47,466 AT IMPEACHMENT. 100 00:02:47,466 --> 00:02:48,800 >> Sreenivasan: OKAY, SO THERE'S 101 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:50,166 A CATCH HERE, BECAUSE IF HE DOES 102 00:02:50,166 --> 00:02:51,633 RESIGN THE SECOND IN LINE IS 103 00:02:51,633 --> 00:02:52,733 THE SECRETARY OF STATE, BUT THAT 104 00:02:52,733 --> 00:02:53,633 PERSON IS ALSO RESIGNED AFTER 105 00:02:53,633 --> 00:02:55,100 THESE CHATS. 106 00:02:55,100 --> 00:02:57,733 >> YES, THE SECRETARY OF 107 00:02:57,733 --> 00:02:59,166 STATE WAS A PART OF THIS CHAT 108 00:02:59,166 --> 00:03:01,966 ROOM, THIS FRAT BOY CLUB THAT 109 00:03:01,966 --> 00:03:03,633 SOME PEOPLE HAVE CALLED IT OUT 110 00:03:03,633 --> 00:03:05,000 HERE. 111 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:06,600 AND HE... IT'S UNCLEAR IF HE 112 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:07,700 STILL IN HIS POST BUT HE 113 00:03:07,700 --> 00:03:09,333 BASICALLY RESIGNED SO IF 114 00:03:09,333 --> 00:03:10,966 ROSSELLO WERE TO DOWN OR IF HE 115 00:03:10,966 --> 00:03:12,800 WERE TO BE IMPEACHED RIGHT NOW 116 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:14,300 THERE IS NO CLEAR SUCCESSOR. 117 00:03:14,300 --> 00:03:15,366 >> Sreenivasan: OKAY, SO YOU 118 00:03:15,366 --> 00:03:16,300 DON'T HAVE A CLEAR SUCCESSOR 119 00:03:16,300 --> 00:03:17,600 EVEN IF THERE IS A RESIGNATION. 120 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:18,666 YOU STILL HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE 121 00:03:18,666 --> 00:03:20,466 TRYING TO RECOVER FROM THE 122 00:03:20,466 --> 00:03:22,566 STORM, ALL OF THE AID HAS NOT 123 00:03:22,566 --> 00:03:23,366 ALREADY MADE IT TO PUERTO 124 00:03:23,366 --> 00:03:24,700 RICO, RIGHT? 125 00:03:24,700 --> 00:03:26,366 >> RIGHT, NO, PUERTO RICO IS AT 126 00:03:26,366 --> 00:03:27,533 A TURNING POINT. 127 00:03:27,533 --> 00:03:30,433 THIS IS A MOMENT OF CRISIS FOR I 128 00:03:30,433 --> 00:03:31,666 AM GOING TO SAY COUNTRY BECAUSE 129 00:03:31,666 --> 00:03:33,066 THAT IS HOW FOLKS DESCRIBE 130 00:03:33,066 --> 00:03:35,100 PUERTO RICO AS A U.S. TERRITORY. 131 00:03:35,100 --> 00:03:37,100 BUT IT'S A MOMENT WHERE FOLKS 132 00:03:37,100 --> 00:03:39,533 ARE REALLY STARTING TO CALL IN 133 00:03:39,533 --> 00:03:41,233 ALL THE GRIEVANCES THAT THEY 134 00:03:41,233 --> 00:03:43,166 HAVE BEEN ENDURING FOR YEARS. 135 00:03:43,166 --> 00:03:43,933 >> Sreenivasan: FROM PUERTO 136 00:03:43,933 --> 00:03:45,133 RICO, "WASHINGTON POST" REPORTER 137 00:03:45,133 --> 00:03:46,233 ARELIS HERNANDEZ, THANK YOU 138 00:03:46,233 --> 00:03:47,100 SO MUCH. 139 00:03:47,100 --> 00:03:48,600 >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.