Amidst scandal, Puerto Rico may lack a governor

Puerto Rico’s governor Ricardo Rosselló is expected to step down from his position at the end of the week, the result of massive public outcry over the “Chatgate” scandal involving homophobic and misogynistic messages.

However, the question of who will replace Rosselló is an open one, as further resignations and rejections have complicated Puerto Rico’s chain of succession.

The first in line for the governor’s seat would normally be the Secretary of State. But Luis Rivera Marín, who held that post, has already stepped down in the wake of Chatgate, and an interim Secretary of State has yet to be announced to replace him.

Lacking a secretary of state, the justice secretary would ascend to the governorship, but current Justice Secretary Wanda Vázquez announced Sunday on Twitter that she is not interested in the position.

The sentiment is shared by protestors and the opposition party, who have accused her of delaying prosecution of others in the administration.

With the third in line for governor, Treasury Secretary Francisco Parés, being only 31 years old and thus ineligible (Puerto Rico’s constitution requires the governor be at least 35 years of age), the succession would finally come to interim Education Secretary Eligio Hernández, who stands in for a former Education Secretary currently awaiting trial on federal corruption charges.

With the Puerto Rican government structure so riddled with holes, it remains to be seen whether an alternative appointment to the Secretary of State, made by a governor on his way out, will in any way calm protests or provide stability to the territory.