Social media, such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, have become exceptional tools to amplify the requests of citizens who demand change. The case of Puerto Rico is a noteworthy example.
It was the summer of 2019 when mayhem ensued in the Island of Enchantment. A private conversation between the governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo “Ricky” Roselló and his associates was made public, revealing, at least, a lack of moral ethics to govern a country.
The 889-page #TelegramGate evidenced the violent, homophobic, misogynistic comments of Roselló and his friends, lobbyists, and public officials who participated in the chat. The journalist Lilia Luciano presented an excellent summary in this video.
If you've finally noticed the #RickyRenuncia #RickyVeteYa – -here's what you need to know: pic.twitter.com/2U4iqZwvaQ
— Lilia Luciano (@lilialuciano) July 18, 2019
But let’s focused on what happened next. From the collective shame and indignation, something wonderful happened. Puerto Ricans joined as never before.
14 days after the chat leak, the tag #RickyRenuncia went viral. According to the study Engaging for Puerto Rico: #RickyRenuncia (and #RickySeQueda) during El Verano del 19 and digital identities (Perez-Rivera et al., 2019), approximately 1 million tweets were generated under the hashtag #RickyRenuncia. The study also displayed its geographic distribution. It showed that the hashtag was used not only in Puerto Rico but also in some states of the US and parts of Western Europe, Central, and South America.
Social media was used to share hundreds of memes, comments, photos, under the hashtag #RickyRenuncia, and conversely, also served to organize mass protests. For days, thousands marched and protested, inside and out of the island. The entire nation was paralyzed calling for Governor Ricardo Rosselló’s resignation.
#FunFact of this march in #PuertoRico. It wasn’t scheduled by any organization. It happened organically in social media by #PuertoRicans who wanted to protest against #Rosselló, demanding his resignation. #ParoNacional #News #ParoNacionalPR #RickyRenuncia 🎥:@NoticentroWAPA pic.twitter.com/gpLBXPhbPY
— Cristina Corujo (@cristina_corujo) July 22, 2019
People shared photos, videos, live broadcasts of what was going on in the streets of San Juan. The enthusiasm was contagious, and this helped to mobilize more and more people to join the protests. The marches transcended the geographical barriers of the island, as many Puerto Ricans in the diaspora were able to join too, thanks to social networks.
The pressure on the government was enormous. Ricardo Roselló resigned on July 24, 2019; not surprisingly, he did it through Facebook!
Social media has become a powerful ally for those seeking social change. As in the case of Puerto Rico, these networks have helped democratized social justice, make the invisible visible, create awareness of injustices, and unite people despite their ideologies. That is #cool!