Victory Lap

Ricky Martin posts victory speech after resignation of Puerto Rico’s governor

Ricardo Rosselló
Ricardo Rosselló

Out pop star Ricky Martin took to Instagram Thursday to celebrate the resignation of Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló.

“Puerto Rico we did it,” Martin said in the post. “And we did it in peace. With no guns, like Gandhi. We demanded respect and we were heard.” He also added, “WE’VE RESCUED OUR ISLAND.  And now, go out to the streets. GO AND CELEBRATE but please DO NOT DROP THE BALL. EYES WIDE OPEN FROM NOW ON.”

Related: Puerto Rico governor Ricardo Rosselló to resign following homophobic text leak

Rosselló’s resignation came after weeks of mass protests around Puerto Rico, in which a number of celebrities, including Martin, demanded action over his sexist, homophobic, and otherwise offensive remarks. The governor came under fire after nearly 900 pages of text and chat messages leaked.

Rosselló had initially apologized and said he would not resign, but would not seek reelection. After weeks of protests, the governor changed his mind. He stepped down Wednesday afternoon.

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Puerto Rico we did it. And we did it in peace. With no guns, like Gandhi. We demanded respect and we were heard. Respect for our children, respect for our women, respect for the LGBT community, respect for our dead. This will never happen again. We won’t let anyone walk all over us again. We will be attentive, vigilant. There’s so much to do now. It is now we need to work more than ever. We succeeded today because we were united. For many decades Puerto Rico was divided. NOT ANY MORE. I am hopeful of our new generation that is instinctively moving things forward. And now, we turn the page. I see a very bright future. I now feel very calm as I celebrate. It’s been a roller coaster of emotions. From anger to joy (I’ve cried like crazy). This has been a birth. We now can achieve anything we want. We are an example. No more corruption, no more trash. WE’VE RESCUED OUR ISLAND. And now, go out to the streets. GO AND CELEBRATE but please DO NOT DROP THE BALL. EYES WIDE OPEN FROM NOW ON. I want to thank the members of the press for keeping us informed. Thank you. Because of your outstanding job, the whole world listened. I am sure some “Leaders of the world” won’t be able to sleep tonight. I’m sure some are nervous. We’ve written a powerful page in history tonight. PUERTO RICO, ESTAMOS BIEN. Te amo. ?????

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