Embattled Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello may resign on Wednesday after 11 days of protests against his administration, local media reported, but some protesters warned his resignation would not end demonstrations. Rossello had made no announcements as of early Wednesday. His chief-of-staff resigned on Tuesday as prosecutors investigated a scandal in the administration that has fueled demands the Caribbean island's leader step down. Some protesters said the governor's resignation would not end the demonstrations. If he does step down his replacement would likely be Justice Secretary Wanda Vazquez, seen among protesters as sullied for her association with the governor. "The first step is he has to quit, but that's only the beginning," said protester Marielie Hernández, 31. Protester Zoe Alva, 32, said: "We need to clean house entirely". "I'll try to keep on fighting, even if I just end up feeling like I'm a crazy person screaming in the street. But that's how I've felt up to now anyway", said Alva. Protests outside the governor's mansion started off comparatively tame on Tuesday, limited to chanting and cheering, following Monday's police confrontations. Organizers handed our children's books about Hurricane Maria, and thousands read aloud in unison, as a reminder of the suffering of the cataclysmic 2017 storm. The sometimes-violent demonstrations, which drew an estimated 500,000 people to the streets of San Juan on Monday, continue to rock the bankrupt U.S. territory as it struggles to recover from a hurricane two years ago that killed some 3,000 people. The publication on July 13 of chat messages in which Gov. Rosselló and aides used profane language to describe female politicians and openly-gay Puerto Ricans like Ricky Martin unleashed simmering resentment over his handling of 2017's hurricane Maria, alleged corruption in his administration and the island's bankruptcy process. A string of Rosselló's closest aides have stepped down over the scandal, and his chief of staff Ricardo Llerandi was the latest to hand in his resignation on Tuesday. "At this historical juncture it is up to me to put the welfare of my family beyond any other consideration," Llerandi said in a letter. "The threats received I can tolerate as an individual, but I will never allow them to affect my home." Puerto Rican officials on Tuesday executed search warrants for the mobile phones of Rosselló and 11 top officials involved in the leaked Telegram message group chats. Puerto Rico's Justice Department first requested the phones last Wednesday as part of its investigation into the chat scandal, nicknamed "Rickyleaks." -Reuters
