Puerto Ricans Get Their Third Governor in 6 Days

Puerto Ricans Get Their Third Governor in 6 Days
Protesters gather outside the government mansion La Fortaleza calling for the removal of the island's newly sworn-in governor in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Aug. 7, 2019. Dennis M. Rivera Pichardo/AP Photo
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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico—Justice Secretary Wanda Vázquez became Puerto Rico’s new governor on Aug. 7, just the second woman to hold the office, after weeks of political turmoil and hours after the island’s Supreme Court declared Pedro Pierluisi’s swearing-in a week ago unconstitutional.

Accompanied by her husband, Judge Jorge Díaz, and one of her daughters, Vázquez took the oath of office in the early evening at the Supreme Court before leaving without making any public comment. She then issued a brief televised statement late Wednesday, saying she feels the pain that Puerto Ricans have experienced in recent weeks.